Six runs in fifth allow Northgate to advance in AAAAAA state playoffs

The Lady Vikings did not lose as they were "visitors" on their
home field in the 6-1 victory

In a span of four innings Thursday, the theme of the deciding game of the AAAAAA playoff series between the Northgate Lady Vikings and the Chattahoochee Lady Cougars seemed different for both clubs.

For the Lady Vikings, starting pitcher Brittany Trammell kept her team in the game while Lady Cougar hurler Samantha Richards successfully played the game of bend but don’t break as Northgate was leaving runners on base.

Chattahoochee saw that strategy fall apart in the top of the fifth inning as the Lady Vikings scored all of their runs in the frame to come from behind and emerge with a 6-1 victory that will allow them to advance to the next round of the state playoffs.

The Lady Vikings improved to 19-13-1 and will travel to Conyers next week to face Heritage while the Lady Cougars fell to 23-8 on the season.

Brittany Trammell scattered nine hits in seven innings and
kept the Northgate Lady Vikings in the game until their
fifth inning comeback.

Northgate, who was the visitor on its own field, threatened to take an early lead as Charla Echols opened the game with a single and with one out Trinity Ingleston singled and Kelsey Williston walked to load the bases.

However, Richards did not break as she got an infield pop and a groundout to end the threat.

Chattahoochee took the lead in the bottom of the frame as Kelly House reached on a bunt single, advanced to second on a sacrifice and scored on a double to left center by Richards.

Richards had to survive the top of the second inning with runners on base and escaped then experienced the same fate in the third as the Lady Vikings had two runners on base with one out.

In the top of the fourth inning, Liz Sebastian led off with a walk and after one out Echols received an intentionally unintentional walk but again Richards get the Lady Vikings off of the scoreboard as she induced another infield pop and strikeout that left the runners stranded.

In the game overall, the Lady Vikings left 13 runners on base in seven innings.

Meanwhile, the Trammell plan of keeping her team in the game was working as she retired the side in order in the bottom of the second and got out of a bases loaded, one out situation

Trouble in the inning began to fade as Sebastian made big catch in right field and threw a strike to Echols at the plate and then the inning ended as a flyball was hit to Karlee Parrott in left field.

Sara Turi gave Northgate a 3-1 lead with a three-run shot
over the fence in the fifth.

Richards finally broke in the fifth as Williston led off with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice by Parrott then Alissa Bolinger reached on a single that brought Sara Turi to the plate.

Turi applied the hammer that broke the Lady Cougars as she drilled a 2-2 offering from Richards over the left center field fence and the Lady Vikings had a 3-1 lead.

After a strikeout, the Lady Vikings added to the scoreboard as Ashley Kent singled while Echols and Caitlyn Cain reached on walks to load the bases for Ingleston who got the she pitch she wanted and drilled it to left center field for a bases clearing triple.

Ingleston’s triple caused a pitching change as Richards was relieved on the pitching rubber by Jordan Campagnolo who induced an infield pop to end the frame but the damage was done.

Ingleston was 2-for-3 in the game with a walk and she was hit by a pitch.

In the bottom of the fifth, Trammell allowed a single but the runner would be eliminated as a base running move proved costly as a 6-3 groundout became a 6-3-5 double play as Bolinger took a throw at third from Ingleston at first.

After allowing another single, Trammell induced a flyball that ended the frame.

After being retired in order in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Lady Cougars tried to rally but Trammell ended the threat as she recorded a strikeout, induced a pop and saw the game end on a flyball to Sebastian in right field.

In seven innings Trammell was effective by scattering nine hits, allowing no walks and recording two strikeouts while her defense was solid including Sebastian who had four putouts in right including the game clincher.