The Riverwood Raiders fastpitch softball team won the inaugural Battle of Sandy Springs Tournament, finishing 3-0 across two days of competition to give head coach Jason Russo a perfect start to his first season leading the program.

Three games. Three wins.

Riverwood beat Mount Vernon 6-5 on Wednesday, Aug. 5, then defeated Holy Innocents and North Springs on Thursday, Aug. 6, at Morgan Falls to claim the title. The Riverwood Athletics department confirmed the championship on X, congratulating the team on a dominant 3-0 start to the season.

Weather forced the Thursday games to relocate from Riverwood's home field to Morgan Falls, with the Raiders facing Holy Innocents at 4 p.m. and North Springs at 6 p.m. Individual scores from those two contests have not been released.

The tournament featured all four Sandy Springs-area high schools (Riverwood, Mount Vernon, North Springs and Holy Innocents) in what organizers billed as a season-opening showcase. As we reported Aug. 6, the Raiders needed a one-run rally to edge Mount Vernon in the opener.

Russo era off to a fast start

Russo, named head coach on June 4, has been part of the Riverwood community for nearly a decade. He joined the school as a teacher in 2018 and began coaching in the Raider baseball program in 2019 before taking over softball. He teaches Adapted Physical Education in Riverwood's CBI department and serves as a Special Olympics Georgia coach.

A 3-0 tournament sweep marks a strong early statement for a program transitioning under new leadership. Riverwood competes in GHSA Region 7-6A, where the regular-season schedule picks up after the tournament wraps.