The Riverwood Raiders fastpitch softball team beat Pace 9-6 on Wednesday, Aug. 26, pushing its record to 6-3-1 ahead of GHSA Region 7-6A play.
It marks a winning non-region finish for a program in its first season under head coach Jason Russo.
Riverwood Athletics posted the final score on X, noting the Raiders held off Pace 9-6 and celebrating the team's momentum heading into the region schedule.
The coach
Russo was named head coach in June after nearly a decade on the Riverwood staff. He began teaching at the school in 2018, joined the Raider baseball coaching staff in 2019, and has also helped coach softball in the years since. He graduated from Indiana University in 2013 with a degree in kinesiology and teaches adapted physical education at Riverwood. He also serves as a Special Olympics Georgia coach.
Season so far
His squad opened the fall season with a sweep. The Raiders won the Battle of Sandy Springs tournament Aug. 5-6, beating Mount Vernon, North Springs and Holy Innocents' to go 3-0 and claim the title. The annual event, hosted by Riverwood, features all four Sandy Springs-area high school softball programs.
Counting Wednesday's win over Pace, the Raiders have gone 3-3-1 in the seven games since the tournament. Individual results from most of those contests have not been published.
What's ahead
The 6-3-1 mark gives the Raiders a winning record entering region competition. The specific opponent, date and location for their first Region 7-6A game have not been announced. Riverwood's account said region play begins the week of Aug. 31.
