Apr 27, 2017 By Bill Hughes for The 3 min read

FINLEYVILLE — Ringgold moved closer to its first winning softball season since 2004, and its first playoff berth since 2003, with its 15-5 Section 2-AAAAA win over visiting Laurel Highlands Thursday.

“We are on a roller coaster of growing pains with good senior leadership,” said Ringgold coach Gregg Adams, pointing out his two seniors, Natalie Adams and Johnna Mocniak, who were both honored before the contest in a Senior Day ceremony. “We are so young, but today everyone came through.

“I think we can keep winning with this young group, but we have to eliminate the errors.”

Ringgold (8-5, 5-4) took advantage of three key LH miscues, and coach Joe Pergar talked about errors and his team leaving runners on base.

“We expected to score some runs and left (eight) runners on base,” he said. “We put the ball in play and would like to push a few more runs across, but the thing I am most upset about is our defense.

“It let us down and give Ringgold credit because they were aggressive and we were lethargic. Maybe that is on me as we got a little flat after a few errors.”

Ringgold jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning with both Taylor Mendicino and Mocniak producing RBI doubles.

Mocniak finished with three doubles, while Mendicino and Nya Adams each had two. Adams, a freshman, finished with four hits as she added a pair of singles.

LH (2-11, 1-8) trimmed the score to 3-1 in the second when Mia Fuller singled in Mercedes Sickles, and then Laurel Highlands scored four runs in the third to take a 5-3 lead as it sent nine players to the plate, aided by four Ringgold errors in the inning.

Fuller and Kaitlyn Bricker had RBI singles in the inning, but unfortunately for the Fillies, Ringgold scored three runs in the third and five in both the fourth and fifth to enact the Mercy Rule.

In the third, Natalie Adams blasted a two-run home run and Kylie Gosliak had a pinch-hit RBI single to give Ringgold a 6-5 lead.

Mocniak doubled in two more runs in the fourth and Madelynn Beckinger hit a sacrifice fly to bring in another run, while an LH error scored two more.

In the fifth, Mendicino had an RBI double and Beckinger closed out the game with an RBI single.

Ringgold’s 17-hit attack was paced by Nya Adams’ four hits, while Mocniak and Mendicino added three, Natalie Adams had a homer and single, and Gosliak finished with two singles. Mocniak and Beckinger each had three RBI.

Despite the loss, Pergar is seeing improvement in his team.

“I have seen improvement and I think our pitching is getting better,” he said. “We are being more aggressive at the plate, but today our defense took a step backwards.”

Laurel Highlands is at Trinity today for a section game, while Ringgold enters a tough stretch as it is at first-place Connellsville Tuesday and hosts second-place Albert Gallatin Thursday.