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If you are a good softball team, you can’t be a very gracious host come tournament time.

Heritage followed that formula to a tee on Tuesday night, advancing as the winner of the very bracket the team hosted with a 4-1 win over Winder-Barrow. Earlier in the day, Winder-Barrow sent Salem packing with an opening round 1-0 win. Heritage got the winner of that contest, made short work of them and now advances to play at Madison County, the state’s second-ranked softball team. The Lady Patriots take on Madison at 4 p.m. tomorrow.

Salem and Rockdale, who lost 2-1 to Habersham Central earlier on Tuesday, will both play their first loser’s bracket game at 2 p.m. tomorrow. Another loss by either team eliminates them from the regional tournament.

Heritage got off to a quick start, as Simone Davenport clubbed a two-run homer in the first inning off Winder starter Kylee Smith to put the Lady Patriots up 2-0.

“That home run was pretty doggone important,” said Heritage coach Dickie Hightower. “It’s always important when you can go up on a good team early.”

The Lady Pats extended that lead in the third and fifth inning s with Amanda Voyles singling home Callie Alford both times.

The defense also held up well in support, with Alford, the catcher,  throwing out a runner at second and Jessica Martin nailing a Winder runner at home plate on a nice throw from left field on what would have been the squad’s first run in the fourth inning.

“If they’re going to give you an out, you’ve got to take it in the regionals,” Hightower said. “They figured out right quick they weren’t going to run on Callie.”

Winder did get on the board in the sixth, but Heritage starter Nikki Walden held down the fort from there to secure her complete game win. Walden was in trouble more than a few times, but timely pitching and defense bailed her out nearly every time.

“Nikki pitched a good ballgame,” Hightower said. “She got out of trouble all night.”

Now, Heritage’s focus turns to the tougher task at hand: staying undefeated in the tourney by going through a tough Madison team on the road. Heritage lost 9-7 in extra-inning against Madison in the two teams’ only matchup of the season so far.

“We have to play errorless, mistake-free ball against a team like Madison,” Hightower said. “If not, they are dangerous and quick enough to make it get ugly really quick.”