Heritage High School’s Kristin West is out at second as Calhoun second baseman Taylor Kelly makes the catch Saturday at the Jack Mattox softball park.RINGGOLD, Ga. — An impressive field of teams competed in the Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe Invitational softball tournament Saturday at the Jack Mattox complex, each with different goals as the high school season begins.
While fledgling teams such as Coahulla Creek were simply getting experience, and host LFO and others were trying to replace departed stars, a handful of veteran squads already have the Elite Eight in Columbus on their minds. Four of those teams faced off in the morning session, each displaying reasons why they could be playing well into October.
In the day’s most interesting game, defending Georgia Class A champion Gordon Lee extended its winning streak to 44 (it would later grow to 45) with a comeback 2-1 victory over a Dade County team hoping to make noise in the Class AA postseason this year.
The Lady Wolverines, playing without ace pitcher Haleigh McBrayer as she rehabs an injury, were one out from ending Gordon Lee’s streak, but an error allowed the tying run to score in the bottom of the seventh inning, and moments later Kendall Johnson scored when a pickoff throw to third base dribbled away.
While pleased her team found a way to win, Gordon Lee coach Dana Mull was not happy with an overall lack of enthusiasm early in the game.