GHSA Class AAA second roundRINGGOLD 8, COLUMBUS 2Ringgold 002 000 6 – 8 8 0Columbus 000 000 2 – 2 3 2WP: Matthew Crownover (8-1), 12 Ks, BB. LP: Kyle Carter, 6 1/3 IP, 5 ER. HR: Crownover (R); J.T. Phillips (C). 2B: Jordan Weems (C). Other highlights: Crownover, Caleb Jones 2 RBIs each; Reed Walden 2-4, RBI, run (R); Phillips 2 RBIs (C).COLUMBUS 9, RINGGOLD 8Columbus 200 102 4 – 9 3 6Ringgold 011 600 0 – 8 8 3WP: Will Solomon. LP: Corey Kafka. 3B: Matthew Crownover (R). 2B: Jordan Weems (C); Caleb Jones (R). Other highlights: Cody Walker, Weems 2 RBIs each (C); Reed Walden 2-4, 2 RBIs; Colton Cross 2-3; Crownover 2 RBIs (R). Records: Columbus 23-7; Ringgold 24-3.
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Challenges are something this Ringgold High School baseball team has suddenly become accustomed to, and if the Tigers are to continue their run to a possible Class AAA championship they’ll have to conquer yet another one today.
Ringgold (24-3) used a masterful pitching performance from junior ace Matthew Crownover to defeat defending state champion Columbus 8-2 in game one of the teams’ second-round best-of-three series Wednesday. However, the Tigers blew an 8-3 lead as the Blue Devils (23-7) scored two runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to escape with a 9-8 win.
Game three will be today at 3, but before then coach Brent Tucker knows his players have to put the final two innings out their minds.
“We made too many mistakes there at the end,” said Tucker, referring to three errors and four walks in the final two innings. “We played a flawless first game, but we gave them too much in the second. The big thing is we’re still alive and playing ball tomorrow. We’ve got to pick ourselves up and go play ball like we did in game one.