The Heritage softball team will not host a game in the 2011 AAAA playoffs after failing to reach the region finals.

The Patriots lost to Madison County 3-1 and 9-1 in a double header in the second round of the Region 8-AAAA tournament on Saturday. They will travel to Habersham Central Thursday to play for a No. 3 seed in the state playoffs.

Heritage, which previously lost to Madison County 10-2 on Sept. 17 and 1-0 on Sept. 20, couldn't hold on in the opener of Saturday's double header.

The Patriots committed four errors, while tallying four hits in the 3-1 loss.

The Red Raiders scored first, putting together three straight one-out hits to go up 1-0 in the first inning.
Heritage pitcher Kierra Camp then got through the second and third innings without giving up a run. In the fourth inning Heritage tied it as Simone Davenport walked. She then stole second, and scored on Taylor Moser's infield single.

Madison County struck again in the fifth inning, leading off with a singe, which resulted in a run a hit later. The Red Raiders then tacked on another run in the sixth inning.

In the second game, Heritage was without its top two pitchers as Camp, who didn't bat in the first game, was held out completely with an injured ankle. She is expected to be back in the circle for the first round of state playoffs. The Patriots' No. 2 pitcher, Lauren Golden, also missed the start as she was taking the ACT's.
Heritage coach Dickie Hightower than went to Taylor Wheeler, who pitched in her first varsity game. She walked the first batter and then gave up two doubles, resulting in a 2-0 lead for Madison County.
Golden then arrived and pitched the second and third inning, both scoreless.

However, things fell apart in the fourth and fifth innings.

The Red Raiders put up two runs in the fourth and four runs in the fifth. Seven of the Red Raiders' 14 hits came in the fourth and fifth innings.