Gordon Lee softball coach Dana Mull has led the Lady Trojans to nine state titles.The northwest Georgia area added a new member to the prep softball state champions' circle Saturday in Columbus, where one of the most successful programs in GHSA history added yet another title.
Heritage dethroned 2017 champion Northside-Columbus with a 5-4 win on Riley Kokinda's walk-off single to capture the Class AAAA title. The Lady Generals (25-6), who rallied from two runs down late in the title game, went through the eight-team, double-elimination tournament undefeated as they earned the program's first state championship. The Catoosa County school opened in 2008.
"It's pretty special," Heritage coach Tanner Moore said. "We knew that in tough times we would be ready to go. I told them there would be trials in this game, and they answered every one in amazing ways."
In Class A public, Gordon Lee was perfect as well, delivering coach Dana Mull's ninth state championship with an 8-0 win over Region 6 rival Bowdon. The Chickamauga program celebrated a state title for the fourth year in a row.
"We just got the job done when we needed to," Mull said. "We had several players come up with big plays, whether it was laying the bunt down or getting a hit in a key situation to making a defensive play.
"Winning does not get old. It's exciting, and every year is a little different."
The Lady Trojans (30-1) started the day by defeating another region rival, Trion, 2-0 in the winners-bracket final as Emma Langston pitched a two-hitter with eight strikeouts and Regan Thompson had two hits and an RBI. In the title game, co-ace Emma Minghini pitched a four-hit shutout with nine strikeouts while also adding three hits and three RBIs. Anna Logan, Thompson, Maddie Clark and Minghini had RBI hits in a five-run second inning that set the tone.
Heritage used a dominating four-hit, 14-strikeout pitching performance from Rachel Gibson to down Hampton 3-0 in the AAAA winners-bracket final earlier Saturday, setting up a rematch with Northside.
The Lady Generals, who also won a first-round matchup with Hampton, were down 4-2 entering the sixth inning of the winners-bracket final before staging a two-out rally that started when senior Katie Proctor drew a walk with a 10-pitch at-bat. Carmen Gayler followed with a double, and Gibson tied it with a double to right field.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bailey Christol doubled with two outs and Kokinda followed with her championship-winning hit to left.
"It was one of the most exciting games I've ever been a part of," Moore said. "It was like a championship fight. What happened in the bottom of the sixth shows what this team is all about with that two-out rally, then we do it again in the seventh.
"This will be something we will remember 20 years from now when we get back together. Just amazing."
Trion and Class AAA's Sonoraville ended the day with third-place trophies. Sonoraville defeated Brantley County 5-1 on Taylor Long's two-hitter earlier Saturday before losing 2-0 to Jefferson in the losers-bracket final.
Trion, after losing to Gordon Lee, had its title hopes erased with a 5-0 loss to Bowdon in the losers-bracket final.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.