Columbus High School center fielder Keith Sims, right, is out at first after a throw to Ringgold first baseman Adam Weldon in the first game of the GHSA Class AAA championship series in Ringgold, Ga. on Monday.GHSA Class AAA ChampionshipCOLUMBUS 6, RINGGOLD 3Columbus 230 // 000 // 1 — 6 // 5 // 0Ringgold 000 // 030 // 0 — 3 // 5 // 3WP: Kyle Carter (12-2), 5-hitter, 6 Ks, 2 BBs. LP: Corey Kafka (9-3), 5-hitter, 1 ER, 10 Ks. 2B: Wright Hackett (R). Highlights: J.T. Phillips 2-2, RBI, run; Josh Lester 2 RBIs (C); Hackett 2-3, RBI, run; Slade Dale 2-4, RBI (R).COLUMBUS 11, RINGGOLD 1Ringgold 100 // 000 — 1 // 4 // 4Columbus 300 // 044 — 11 // 12 // 0WP: J.T. Phillips, 4-hitter, 6 Ks. LP: Adam Weldon (9-3). HR: Phillips, Pearce Ressmeyer (C). 2B: Slade Dale, Corey Kafka (R). Other highlights: Ressmeyer 3-4, 3 RBIs; Josh Lester 3-4; Phillips 2-4, 2 RBIs (C); Kafka RBI (R). Records: Columbus 33-4; Ringgold 29-9.
RINGGOLD, Ga. — Among the many mistakes that could be attributed to the Ringgold High School baseball team in its GHSA Class AAA championship series loss Monday to Columbus High, the Tigers’ coach felt the most costly was something they could not control.
In losing 6-3 and 11-1 to the three-peating Blue Devils (33-4), Ringgold committed seven errors. The sloppy play had nothing to do with being lackadaisical, coach Brent Tucker said. On the contrary, he felt the Tigers were tight for a very human reason.
“I really think they wanted it too much,” he said as the Blue Devils celebrated in center field of Bill Womack Field after ending Ringgold’s season for the third straight year. “We were tight, and if you’ve seen us play all year, we don’t play like that. We haven’t made seven errors total in the playoffs.”
Inning one of each game was critical. Columbus star Kyle Carter was hit by a pitch to lead off the opener, and J.T. Phillips followed with a single that went under hard-charging center fielder Austin Parrish’s glove all the way to the fence. Carter scored on the play and Phillips made it to third.