The Heritage varsity softball team clinched the Region 8-AAAAA softball championship Thursday night at home, cooking the Loganville Red Devils 7-1 in the tournament's championship game.
Starting pitcher Kierra Camp went 3-for-3 at the plate in the title game, blasting a 2-run home run in her final at-bat to cap off an almost flawless night at the plate and on the mound.
The Heritage senior also picked up the win, throwing seven complete innings while allowing one run on six hits. Camp feasted on the bottom half of the Red Devils' line up, tallying seven strikeouts against Loganville's bottom four batters.
Loganville struck first with a run in the first half of the inning, but the Patriots' defense held the Red Devils scoreless over the final six frames.
"The first time we beat Loganville this season, the girls wanted to celebrate," Heritage head coach Jason McBay said. "I told them that then wasn't the time; we'd have them again. No matter when or where you play them, you know Loganville is going to be ready. Two of our goals this season was to win the region and to beat Loganville every time we played them and we checked both of those off tonight. It feels good."
Down 1-0 heading into the bottom of the first, Heritage tied the contest on a Camp single to left field, plating shortstop Diamond Callwood.
Heritage claimed the lead in the third inning, taking a 3-1 advantage on a Carri Wilkerson RBI-single to left field and a Taylor Moser RBI-single to right center with two outs.
Heritage tacked on a run in the fourth inning on a Callwood infield single scoring Jamiya Barker before Camp's 2-RBI home run in the fifth frame.
Loganville threatened with lead-off singles in both the sixth and seventh innings, but the Patriots added an insurance run in the sixth to hold off the Red Devils for the 6-run victory.
Callwood and Wilkerson both finished along side Camp with multi-hit nights, picking up a pair of hits apiece.
Madelyn Green earned the loss on the mound for Loganville, surrendering one run on nine hits and four walks.
As the No. 1 seed in Region 8, the Patriots will host the No. 4 seed from Region 6 in the state tournament starting on Oct. 16-17.
