RINGGOLD, Ga. — If Tuesday’s Ringgold-Heritage game was scheduled to give each respected team a look at what playoff softball will look like, that goal was achieved.
Ringgold’s 4-3 win in eight innings was played with playoff intensity between the Catoosa County nonregion rivals, and the message that it’s time to find another level was made clear. The Lady Tigers (22-5) rallied for a run in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, then used a defensive break and a Heritage error to win in eight.
“That was a battle,” Ringgold coach Rachel Hodge said. “I don’t think either one of us played our best game, but that’s what we’re going to see from here on out. This is a great game for us to schedule before the region tournament. Heritage is an outstanding program. They’re going to contend for a state title and we want to also, and to do that we have to play at their level. I challenged our girls to dominate in October, so they knew what they had to do tonight.”
Ringgold took a 2-1 lead into the seventh inning in a fast-paced game with starting pitchers Katie Cain and Heritage’s Lauren Lawson throwing strikes. The Generals (21-6) rallied after Lawson opened with a single and scored when Katie Pritchett’s grounder was misplayed. Two batters later, Brooklynn Frazier doubled in the go-ahead run.
The Lady Tigers came right back when senior Devan Brown singled in Nicole Cross with two outs, setting up extra innings. Heritage was in good shape to score in the top of the eighth with a runner on third and hot-hitting Olivia Tamewitz at bat. Then Ringgold reliever Abbey McKinney’s first pitch went to the backstop, but catcher Aimee Davidson pounced on it and threw courtesy runner Sydney Smith out at the plate.