RINGGOLD, Ga. – It may seem like a lifetime ago, but there was a time early in Georgia’s high school softball season when the Ringgold Lady Tigers were an afterthought. When they were 3-7, many around the program were wondering how far the traditional state power would fall.
Not Rachel Hodge. The second-year coach and former all-star player has seen enough softball to know her team had potential. But with just one senior, catcher Allie Baker, what it needed was a shot of confidence.
The strange thing is that shot came in defeat.
Ringgold trailed Region 7-AAA rival LaFayette 8-4 entering the seventh inning on Sept. 16 when the Lady Tigers scored four runs to send the game into extra innings. Though they would lose the game 10-9, something seemed to click with the young team.
The Lady Tigers caught fire late to finish as region runners-up, then won two state playoff series to earn a trip to Columbus for the elite eight starting Thursday.
“For some reason, we started playing as a team after that game,” said sophomore third baseman Ericka Bynum, who led the team with a .450 average and hit five home runs. “We started talking to each other more, and we realized we could do it.”
Hodge finally started to see the team she knew was there.
“I knew early on that we had a lot of things to iron out,” the coach said. “We had a lot of players getting their first shot at starting and we had some in new positions, so I knew it would take time. I thought we were capable of doing what we’ve done, but I don’t believe a lot of people had that same belief.”
Part of Hodge’s success is the way her coaching staff allows the players to enjoy themselves when the time is right. She’s still close enough to her playing days to remember a high school athlete having fun is usually a more productive one.
“This group of girls in general loves the game, and they play with a lot of heart,” Hodge said. “I still get on them when I have to, and they even joke around with me when I make them do fire drills. We have fun, but when it’s time to work, we do.”
In Columbus the Lady Tigers are part of a Class AAA field no one would have predicted. Only four of the eight teams are ranked, with Walnut Grove at No. 4 being the highest. Ringgold’s (21-14) opener is against eighth-ranked West Laurens (25-8-1), a south Georgia team Hodge knows little about. A win in the 3:30 game would likely pit the Lady Tigers against fellow 7-AAA team Allatoona, which Ringgold defeated in the region tournament.
“I think it is pretty wide open,” Hodge said. “All of the top seeds from the north are gone, so that makes it very interesting. Either way, we have to play our best and score some runs. It’s anyone’s tournament.”
Gordon Lee, undefeated and top-ranked in Class A, opens play Thursday at noon against Bryan County.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296.