Last season, the Richmond Hill softball team made the trip to Columbus as the Wildcats reached the Elite Eight in the state playoffs for the first time in school history under head coach Chris Jenkins.
This year the Wildcats won the Region 1-7A title, their first region crown since 2016 and Richmond Hill hosted Dacula on Wednesday, Oct. 21, in a second-round playoff matchup with another berth in the Elite Eight on the line.
The opening double header in the best of three series was a nail biter from start to finish as Richmond Hill won with a dramatic extra inning walk off to take Game 1 by a score of 5-4. Dacula returned the favor in the second game by hanging on for a 3-2 victory with the tying run on base in the Wildcats final at bat.
The deciding Game 3 will be held at Richmond Hill on Thursday, Oct. 22, with the first pitch set for 2:30 p.m.
"We had a good feeling coming into this series because the girls have worked so hard and were prepared to play," said Jenkins, in his sixth season leading the program. "They were in a good place mentally and at this point in the season you just turn them loose and let them play and enjoy the experience."
The first game was a back and forth affair. Richmond Hill scored a pair in the bottom of the fifth, but Dacula answered with two runs in the top of the sixth to tie things up at 4-4 in a battle that went to extra innings.
With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Ashella Matias lined a single past shortstop which set the stage for senior Ahnalya Estevez, who smoked a shot that landed on the left field foul line for a double that brought Matias home with the winning run in the 5-4 victory.
After earning the win with a complete game in the opener, junior Gessilyn Clark was in the circle again for the Wildcats in the second game and she went the distance once again.
Dacula was the home team in the second game and the Falcons scored twice in the bottom of the first on an RBI triple by Karsyn Plaisance, who came home on a RBI groundout. The Falcons added a run in the third on an error, but Richmond Hill showed off its excellent defense throughout the game.
Estevez drove in another run in the top of the fifth and Lennon Monaco drove in another run with a sacrifice bunt to cut the deficit to 3-2, but Dacula held on.
In the bottom of the sixth, Aubrey Ragins, the Wildcats senior shortstop, put on a show with a diving backhanded catch of a fly ball down the left field line, along with a pair of sterling plays on grounders ― the second a memorable play that showcased her smooth style on a shot straight up the middle.
Ragins, who has committed to play at the College of Coastal Georgia, had a double and a bunt single and scored a pair of runs in the first game.
"Everyone was a little stressed before the games started, but we calmed down and started playing well once things got going," said Ragins, a four-year starter and first-team all-region pick each year that she has played. "Dacula is a tough team because they never give in, but we never gave up either. We want to win it tomorrow."
Jenkins said Ragins' play has been at the heart of the program's success since her freshman season.
"We've seen that from Aubrey over the last four years," Jenkins said. "In a setting like this, is nice to see her get the chance to put her game on display."
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Richmond Hill softball splits with Dacula ― setting up deciding Game 3