The Gilmer High Lady Cats’ softball season ended two weeks after winning a region title.
GHS was a No. 1 seed and hosted the No. 4 seeded Ringgold Tigers last week to start the Class 3A state tournament. The best-of-three series began with a doubleheader Tuesday and GHS lost game one, 6-3.
Facing elimination, the Tigers, who are the defending state champions, handed Gilmer a 9-1 loss to end the Cats’ season.
“The overall problem was experience,” GHS head coach Amanda Mullis said. “We played a team with a lot of it and our girls don’t have it. They could have been nervous, but I felt going into game one they were prepared. But everything we worked on went out the door.
“We worked on bunt coverage all week at practice and drop steps in the outfield. There were lots of new drills that we did, but we didn’t use anything we worked on in the game.”
Over the course of the series, GHS committed nine errors, and the Tigers scored seven unearned runs. In the opening game offensively, the Cats stranded five runners in scoring position.
“I told the girls defense will win the game, but we didn’t play it and we didn’t win,” Mullis said. “We did a good job of getting our bunts down but just couldn’t finish.”
In game one, GHS committed five errors, which led to two unearned runs. A walk started the game for the Tigers but the baserunner was cut down at second base by catcher Maddie Wright when trying to steal.
The ensuing Tiger hitter belted a home run over the left field fence. A bloop single was followed by a GHS error and RHS took a 2-0 lead.
In the second, two more Gilmer errors allowed Ringgold to push the margin to three runs. The Cats got a run back in its half of the inning when Taylor Elliott sent a homer to right field. Makenzie Taylor singled to right, but was stranded at third base.
RHS put the leadoff runner on base in the fourth thanks to a GHS error. However, she suffered the same fate as the baserunner in the first inning when trying to steal third base as Wright threw her out.
Sarah Stallings and Elliott began the fourth with back-to-back hits for GHS, and they advanced a base on a wild pitch.
Gilmer plated its second run when the Tigers attempted to pick off Stallings at third and the throw was wild.
RHS continued its power surge in the fifth. A leadoff home run was followed by a single and second homer of the inning to give the Tigers a 6-2 edge.
GHS used some small-ball tactics in its half of the inning. After a leadoff single by Jasmine Staley, both Wright and Jacie Bennett reached on bunts.
A sacrifice fly out by Macy Hamby scored Staley for Gilmer’s final run of the game. GHS was retired in order in the sixth and seventh innings.
Isabella Chastain pitched all seven innings for Gilmer and struck out four, walked three and allowed seven hits. Both Stallings and Elliott had two hits for GHS.
Freshman pitcher Zoey Woody started game two for GHS and held the Tigers in check for three innings.
Ringgold was the designated home team for game two, and GHS took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second with an RBI double by Taylor.
RHS got on the board in the bottom of the fourth and did not look back. Two singles followed by a routine slow rolling grounder that got through the infield tied the game. An ensuing fielder’s choice saw RHS slip ahead, 2-1.
In the following inning, a two-out triple put Ringgold in scoring position. A single to right plated the Tigers’ third run, and a two-base error advanced her to third. Another error in center field pushed Ringgold’s lead to 4-1.
The Tigers ended the game early in the sixth. Two hits and a hit batter loaded the bases. A one-out double scored two runs, and an ensuing wild pitch made the score 7-1 in the Tigers’ favor.
A hard-hit ball slashed to right field and was not fielded cleanly. The Tiger hitter raced around the bases for a two-run, inside-the-park home run to end the game.
Hamby was three for three on the day, which included a double. Senior Alexis Sirmans led off the fifth inning with a double down the right field line.
Four GHS errors accounted for five unearned runs. Woody gave up nine hits and four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. Hamby faced the Tigers’ final batter of the game.
“It came down to defense,” Mullis said of Gilmer’s early exit. “We struggled communicating and had over throws and bunts we couldn’t get to. We just weren’t talking. We go over as much as we can at practice, but you can’t go over every scenario. You’ve got to learn from instincts.”
GHS posted an overall record of 19-6, which included a 17-1 mark against region opponents. Gilmer wrapped up the regular season with its first-ever fastpitch region title.
“I was glad for the region championship,” Mullis said. “The girls deserved that and made things happen even when we were missing starters. That speaks volumes when you can do that. We had some freshmen come in and played in spots they had never played before and did well. They were able to finish, and that was nice.
“We’re hoping some of these younger girls find some travel ball teams or take some lessons. You can’t just walk into next year without doing anything because it’s not going to be easy. We’re losing some good players.”