Taylor Moran pitches for Heritage against Northwest Whitfield at Heritage Point Park in Dalton.DALTON, Ga. – Jamison Payne will look back someday and laugh at the first big highlight of her softball career. For now, the Northwest Whitfield freshman is just trying to remember what happened after her two-out walk-off home run lifted the Lady Bruins past Heritage, 3-2, in the winner’s-bracket final of the Region 7-AAAA tournament.
Northwest (26-3) defeated Heritage (23-4-1) for the third time this season and has earned at least the region’s No. 2 seed for next week’s first round of the state playoffs. The Lady Bruins will face the winner of tonight’s loser’s-bracket final between Heritage and surprising Dalton at 7 in the championship game.
Payne’s game-winning hit just cleared the left-centerfield temporary fence, with Heritage outfielder Allison Walker nearly catching it before knocking the piece of fence over. Payne stopped at second base before being told she had hit a homer, the first of her career.
“I thought it bounced over,” Payne said. “I just wanted to hit the ball. I’ve never hit one before, but I guess this is a great place to do it.”
Payne’s heroic moment might not have happened if either of the two Lady Bruins hitting before her had reached base against Heritage pitcher Taylor Moran.