RINGGOLD, Ga. – The Calhoun-Ringgold softball rivalry is alive and well.
The two teams, ranked No. 1 and 2 in Class AAA, renewed hostilities Thursday at Hazel Brown Field, with the Lady Tigers pulling out a heated 9-6 win. And as with each of the teams’ eight meetings a year ago – which ended with Calhoun winning two of three in the state title round in Columbus – their latest game was a roller coaster.
Ringgold (7-1, 4-0 Region 6-AAA) was leading 2-0 in the third inning with the bases loaded when Abby McKinney lifted a shallow fly ball to left field. Ringgold’s Karoline Sholl, who had tagged up, ran into Calhoun catcher Chloe Rice, who had been waiting with the ball.
She held the ball for the out but was injured on the play. While Rice was down, Ringgold’s Kalyee Womack, who had been at second base, kept running and scored. After a lengthy debate that ended with Calhoun coach Diane Smith playing the game under protest, the umpires ruled the run would count.
Sholl was ejected, which was the argument Smith made in her protest.
“In my opinion, when the girl ran over my catcher, he called her out and threw her out of the game, at which point the play was dead,” Smith said. “The other runner kept going and scored, but – again, in my opinion – that run shouldn’t have counted, so we’re protesting it from that point.”
Rice remained in the game but was later pulled after experiencing concussion-like symptoms.
The incident seemed to fire up the Lady Yellow Jackets (4-1, 3-1), who added a run in the fourth on Maddie Clay’s single and tied it at 4 in the fifth on Emily Weatherman’s three-run homer to right field.
Ringgold answered on Kiana Dale’s RBI double in the bottom half, but Calhoun tied it again in the sixth on a wild pitch.
The Lady Tigers took control in the bottom of the inning on three hits and two costly Calhoun errors to score four runs. Kayla Woody, who replaced Sholl, knocked in the go-ahead run with a fielder’s choice; Womack followed with a batted ball that went for an error and brought in another run.
Dare Schley followed with an RBI single and Dale later added a bases-loaded walk to provide all the insurance Ringgold needed. McKinney, after giving up a leadoff homer to Emily Mitchell, earned the complete-game win despite allowing 11 hits.
“Every time we get together it’s one of these type games,” Ringgold coach Shane Pendley said. “It was a great game. I know this team is hungry. We were up 4-1 when they got the big homer, but we came right back and kept fighting. We know they’ve got a great team and we’ve got a great team, so it’s good to get the first one.
“We love this rivalry; it’s good for both teams and I’m sure it will heat up even more after today.”
Taylor Chadwick had three hits, with Womack and Schley adding a pair for the Lady Tigers. Rice’s replacement, Maddie Bumgardner, went 3-for-3 to lead Calhoun, with Clay, Weatherman and Ashlyn Barnes adding two hits each for Calhoun.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22.
