Heritage High School’s Kristin West is out at second as Calhoun second baseman Taylor Kelly makes the catch during a recent game at the Jack Mattox softball park.RINGGOLD, Ga. — If momentum means anything in high school softball, the toughest week of the regular season is coming at just the right time for the Heritage Generals.
The veteran team is coming off a weekend tournament championship at Adairsville, where it won six games and outscored its opposition 41-4. Heritage (17-5) has won 11 consecutive games, but that streak will get tested beginning with today’s game at Ridgeland and continuing at Allatoona on Wednesday and at Gilmer County on Thursday.
Coach Steve Chattin admitted that the weekend didn’t provide any real surprises, but winning any title is a positive achievement for a team that experienced an earlier-than-expected exit from the Class AAA state playoffs a year ago.
“Learning how to win with a new bunch is always beneficial,” Chattin said. “We learned how to win a championship. Even though the competition wasn’t quite what we will see in the playoffs, to win six games within 24 hours, including three straight without a break, says that we’re growing.
“This week is a big test for us, but if we’re not 3-0 after the week we haven’t achieved all that we wanted to.”
To get there he’ll need more of what happened this past weekend with shining performances from Jesslyin Stockard (9-of-15, seven RBIs), Kristin West (9-of-19, 10 runs scored), Brandy Goldsmith (seven hits, eight runs) and Savannah Goldsmith (seven hits, four RBIs) in particular.
The 41 runs in the six games is just slightly above the Generals’ average for the season. For the most part, the lineup has been together for three years and features power and speed.
“Our first six batters are as good as anybody’s, and we’re capable of scoring a lot of runs,” Chattin said. “We’ve got a lot of kids with a lot of God-given talent. Three seniors and five juniors have played select ball either with us or with someone else. All eight have received some interest from colleges, and that’s a credit to their hard work and their ability.”
Part of that hard work stems from last year’s playoff series loss to Walnut Grove after Heritage took game one and had a lead in game two. That ending stayed with the players for some time.
“It was really unexpected,” senior second baseman Renae Johnson said. “We didn’t play as well as we could, but I think we can go a lot further this year. We’ve worked a lot harder this winter and summer than we have in the years before. We’re all taking it seriously because we’ve got better leadership.
“The leadership is so important because we all have to be on the same page as to what we’re trying to do. For us to go far, we have to come together for one goal. Most of us have been together for five years, so that closeness is already there.”
The Region 7 tournament begins in two weeks and the only question mark surrounding the Generals is in the pitching circle, where three players — Allison Vaughn, Lauren Lawson and Danielle Long — have combined to replace graduated all-star Marissa Patterson.
“The biggest thing is learning to win without having Marissa Patterson,” Chattin said. “For three years we knew 90 percent of the time who was getting the ball. But our three pitchers this year have done a nice job, though we haven’t been as dominant as we have in the past.
“This season there are some games we’ve thrown all three or two. It’s more of the baseball philosophy than the softball philosophy.”
Of course, it doesn’t hurt to average more than six runs per game.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296.