RINGGOLD, Ga. - Two state champions. Two loaded lineups with heavy expectations of making repeat title runs. Two games against each other in three days - complete with 49 total runs scored - has only proved there is much work to be done for goals to be reached.
Heritage, the reigning GHSA Class AAAA champion, completed a two-game season-opening sweep of Catoosa County neighbor and Class AAA titlist Ringgold with an 11-6 win Monday. The host Generals rallied from a 6-3 deficit after four innings with a single run in the fifth and seven more in the sixth to improve to 2-0.
The rally came after trailing 7-3 midway through Friday's season opener at Ringgold, which ended with Heritage on top, 19-10. Heritage coach Tanner Moore, whose team will play at least the first two weeks without star pitcher Rachel Gibson (out after having dental surgery), is pleased with the wins, though not the overall execution.
"We didn't play well tonight," Moore said after the Generals allowed four early unearned runs on a pair of errors. "We had a lot of mistakes all around. The bright side is we can turn it on when we need to. It shouldn't get there, but it's been that way the first two games. Once we were able to put some pressure on them, the game changed."
The third time through the lineup proved to be the difference Monday as Heritage found a way to time Ringgold starting pitcher Maddy Bacon. A walk and two singles loaded the bases to start the inning, with Bailey Christol making it a 6-5 game by getting hit with a pitch.
Zoe Wright tied it with a single and Riley KoKinda, who had four hits and five RBIs in Friday's win, was hit by a pitch to give Heritage a 7-6 lead. Carmen Gayler followed with an RBI single, another run scored on a wild pitch and Madeline Stone broke it open with a two-run single.
Reliever Brinley Horner earned the win with four innings of two-run, five-hit pitching.
"I'm super proud of the way we came back," Moore said. "We have to quit giving up freebies, and now is the time to fix it."
In other area softball games Monday:
Coahulla Creek 6, Ridgeland 5: At Coahulla Creek, McKinley Staten's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh capped a rally from a 5-4 deficit entering the final inning. Coahulla Creek (2-0) trailed 3-0 after three innings but took a 4-3 lead on Steahl Smith's two-run single before having to rally late against the Lady Panthers (1-2). Smith had three hits.
Dade County 10, Christian Heritage 9: In Dalton, Michaela Massey had four hits and Emma Heard drove in three runs as the Lady Wolverines held on against the host Lady Lions (0-1), who made it a one-run game with three runs in the bottom of the seventh before Dade held on for the win.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.