Ringgold second baseman Wright Hackett, No. 2, rounds third during the second inning against Lanier at Ringgold High School in Ringgold, Ga., on Friday. Ringgold High School played Lanier in a double-header in the first round of the GHSA Class AAA playoffs.RINGGOLD, Ga. — The fans filling the visiting bleachers at Bill Womack Field rose to their feet as one, cheering their team on late in game two of the GHSA Class AAA first-round baseball playoff doubleheader Friday.
There was little drama on this day, however. The standing ovation followed a rare 1-2-3 defensive inning for the Lanier Longhorns, who moments later had their own quick at-bat to close out five-inning 11-1 and 14-4 losses to the host Ringgold Tigers. The Tigers rapped out 32 hits, including seven home runs and six doubles.
“We hit the ball all day and kept the pressure on them,” said Ringgold coach Brent Tucker, whose 23-4 team will host the winner of the Cairo/Howard series in the second round next Wednesday. “The break did us good. We were a tired bunch last week, and it allowed us to freshen up a little bit.
“The guys are fired up to be playing here this year. People understand we can swing it a little bit, and we want everyone to know we play well here at home.”
The Tigers actually went scoreless in the opening two innings against a 15-12 Lanier team making its postseason debut in its second year of existence. However, once the Ringgold bats warmed up, the avalanche began with five runs in the third as Corey Kafka and Alan Mocahbee began their personal onslaughts.