Northwest Whitfield earned a signature win early in the season Thursday with a 1-0 defeat of reigning GHSA Class A public champion Gordon Lee.
Winning pitcher Kylie Hayes stranded 10 baserunners - two each in the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings - and sparked the game's only scoring rally with a leadoff single in the fourth inning.
The Lady Bruins (2-2) followed with a walk and a hit batter to load the bases with no one out against Gordon Lee's Emma Minghini. The rally stalled as Minghini recorded a strikeout and induced a forceout at home, but a wild pitch with two outs scored Torrey Cummings.
Minghini had two of five hits for Gordon Lee (0-1), which lost just one regular-season game last year en route to its ninth state title under coach Dana Mull.
Sonoraville 7, Ringgold 2: Rebecca Trippett was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and five RBIs, including a third-inning grand slam, to secure the first win of the season for the Phoenix (1-2, 1-0 Region 6-AAA). Taylor Long earned the pitching win by twice working out of bases-loaded jams, including the seventh inning.
Trion 9, Rome 1: The Class A public school Lady Bulldogs easily dispatched the Class AAAAAA Lady Wolves as Ransley Lawrence pitched a six-inning complete game, allowing no earned runs and three hits while striking out eight. She also led a nine-hit attack with three hits and two RBIs, with Lexi Baker adding two hits and two RBIs and Kinzleigh Turner two RBIs.
Ridgeland 10, LaFayette 2: The Lady Panthers (2-2) won a matchup of Walker County rivals with a nine-run first inning. Cordasia Watkins, Marianne Beliveau, Jenna Morgan and Maddie O'Toole each had two hits, with Watkins driving in three runs. Winning pitcher Brianna Goldsmith allowed one earned run on three hits in six innings.
East Paulding 6, Dalton 4: The Lady Catamounts (1-1, 0-1 Region 7-AAAAAA) lost on the road despite Gracie Young's 3-for-4 showing. Emily Brunson took the loss after allowing three earned runs and five hits while striking out seven in six innings.
Cleveland golf program sweeps
Led by freshman Tripp Hall and junior Hannah Nall, the Cleveland High School golf programs swept a tri-meet with Bradley Central and Signal Mountain at Cleveland Country Club.
Hall had two birdies on his way to a final nine-hole score of 1-over-par 37. Signal Mountain's Peyton Ogle and Cleveland's Eli Adams also shot 37s.
Nall led the girls' field with a 40. The Lady Blue Raiders standout has opened the season sharp as she shot an impressive 3-under 67 in the Cookeville High School Invitational last week.
Cleveland just edged Bradley Central by two strokes, winning the boys' meet 163-161 and the girls' 86-84.
JT McKenzie shot 3 over for the Bears, while Lauren Baker was one off the girls' medalist.
Darbi Shay shot a 44 for the Lady Raiders.
Signal Mountain was missing several of its top golfers for both teams.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.