Blansit’s Four-Hit Night Leads Heritage Past Cedartown in Extras

Cedartown, Ga. - The Heritage Generals softball team earned its 20th win of the season in thrilling fashion, a 5-4 triumph over the Cedartown Bulldogs in nine innings.

Heritage earned a 20-win regular season while improving their record to 20-2-1 on the year. The 20-win regular season is the first since 2020 and the third in the last nine years. Cedartown falls to 8-17 on the year and 3-11 in Region 7-AAAA play.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Cedartown struck for three runs in the bottom of the first thanks to five hits and two run-scoring doubles. Kendall Howard broke the scoreless tie with a 2-RBI double and Autumn Boatner extended the lead with a two-out double to score Zyleigh Rodriguez.

Heritage answered back with three runs of their own in the top of the first. Ella Blansit got the Generals on the board with her first home run of the season. The solo shot was part of a career-high four hits for the junior. She also set a single-game high with eight total bases. Abbie Young and Brylee Pritchett also drove in runs in the inning to tie the game at 3-3.

Each team traded runs in the sixth to make the score 4-4 before a scoreless seventh and eighth inning. Heritage would break through in the ninth with Blansit’s fourth hit, an RBI single to score Harper Carstens.

Addie Edwards would continue her stellar season with another solid outing. After entering as a relief pitcher in the bottom of the first, Edwards allowed just two hits over 8.2 innings pitched and struck out a career-high 18 batters. She also passed former Heritage pitcher Marissa Patterson for second place all-time in strikeouts with 397.

HHS 5, CHS 4

SCORING PLAYS

B1 | HHS 0, CHS 2 | Kendall Howard doubled to right field. Shailey Pittman and Kenzlei Boozer scored.

B1 | HHS 0, CHS 3 | Autumn Boatner doubled to left field. Zyleigh Rodriguez scored.

T2 | HHS 1, CHS 3 | Ella Blansit homered to center field.

T2 | HHS 2, CHS 3 | Abbie Young doubled to right field. Landry White scored.

T2 | HHS 3, CHS 3 | Brylee Pritchett singled to right field. Electra Bowling scored.

T6 | HHS 4, CHS 3 | Landry White out on a sacrifice fly to left field. Jenna Ryans scored.

B6 | HHS 4, CHS 4 | Kenzlei Boozer homered to center field. 

T9 | HHS 5, CHS 4 | Ella Blansit singled to right field. Harper Carstens scored.

UP NEXT

Heritage (20-2-1) concludes their regular season slate with their final home game against Northwest Whitfield on Thursday, Oct. 12 at 5:30 p.m. The Generals will then turn their attention to the Super Regional round of the GHSA state playoffs, which will be played at the Heritage Softball Complex on Oct. 18-19.