RINGGOLD — Jackson County is just one win from its first-ever semifinal appearance after splitting the first two games with Ringgold in the two teams' Class AAA quarterfinal series Tuesday.
The Panthers dropped Game 1, 14-9, but rebounded to take Game 2 6-2 to tie the best-of-three series.
The two teams will play their deciding Game 3 on Wednesday in Ringgold with a chance to take on Blessed Trinity.
Ringgold struck early and often to run out to a big lead it would not relinquish in Game 1. The Tigers scored three in the first and then six in the second to grab a 9-2 lead.
Jackson County cut the lead to 9-5 in the third on a two-run home run by Joel Ellis and a Chris Griggs RBI double.
Ringgold answered with a four-run bottom of the third to pull ahead 13-5. The Panther never got closer than the final score.
In Game 2, Zane Corley would get the Panthers right back in the series tossing a complete game allowing just the two runs.
Tyler Sartain and Mason Williams each had RBI singles after Ryan Fogarty’s two-run single in the first gave the Panthers a 3-0 lead they would not relinquish.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/5/398296/class-aaa-baseball-panthers-salvages-win-to-force-game-3