GREENVILLE – The Greenville Lady Wave made a statement run ruling the Madison Plains Lady Golden Eagles 10-0 in four and one-half innings at Stebbins Field, home of Lady Wave Softball.
“Great day for Lady Wave Softball,” said Greenville coach Jerrod Newland. “It’s Gold Medal Week. I’m proud of the kids, and I love it. I love the program; everybody is smiling.”
Six Greenville seniors, Savannah Leach, Skylar Bryson, Haleigh McDermitt, Addie Burke, Mahayla Cook, and Ella McLear played their final home game at Lady Wave stadium giving the class of 2024 the 111 wins to date with an average of 27.75 wins per season with only 27 regular season games permitted each year.
“A great day for the seniors – 111th win here on the field,” Newland stated. “It’s crazy, four years and 111 wins.”
Greenville’s 2023 First Team All-State pitcher Zoey Burns, a junior went the distance on the mound tossing a three-hit shutout while crushing two home runs and 5 RBI on the night to lead the Lady Wave into Friday night’s District Championship game at Carlisle.
“Absolutely awesome performance,” Newland said of Burns’ night on the mound and at the plate. “Zoey hit a few over, and finally, that first one went over and just great stuff. She pitched lights out.”
Kylar Arnett led off the bottom of the first inning for Greenville setting up a 2-RBI towering home run off the bat of Burns but not before the junior fouled off 11 pitches including 3 foul balls out of the park before drilling the 14th pitch deep over the left field fence giving the Lady Wave a 2-0 lead after one complete.
“Fourteen pitch event there in the first inning,” Newland said of Burns home run.
The teams played to a 0-0 score in the second keeping the score at 2-0.
Burns struck out the side at the top of the third inning, bringing Greenville to the plate at the bottom of the inning, with Burns leading off Greenville’s half of the inning with a hit batsman. A passed ball put pinch runner Kara Blumenstock on second. Ella McLear drilled a line drive single to left and a perfect Eagles’ throw cut down the speedy pinch running Blumenstock on a bang-bang play at the plate for the second out of the inning.
Senior third baseman Mahayla Cook crushed a 0-2 pitch out of the park to left giving Greenville a 4-0 advantage with three innings in the book.
“Cook hits a ball hard and square,” Coach Newland said.
Greenville’s fourth inning proved to be its big inning of the night, starting with an Addie Burke lead-off single and a Savannah Leach sacrifice bunt moving Burke to second. A Lily Brubaker RBI single to center and Arnett hit by a pitch put runners on first and second with one out.
Burns stepped to the plate to hammer her second home run of the night, a 3-run dinger on a 0-1 count, and a Lady Wave 8-0 lead.
Kendall Cromwell followed with a single to left, McLear took an intentional walk, Cook was hit by a pitch, loading the bases, and Haleigh McDermitt hit a run-scoring sacrifice fly to left, setting up a walk-off Lady Wave win with pinch-runner Skylar Bryson reaching home on an error on the same play.
“We’re coming on, we’re getting ready,” Coach Newland said of the team moving to the District title game. “We’re 26-4 and moving on Friday at Carlisle vs the winner of Taylor and Batavia. Just for the opportunity for us and everybody and just a fun day.”
The Lady Wave played error-free ball to earn the shutout tournament win.
“Amazing, electric crowd and atmosphere to close the stadium for the 2024 season, all the way from the youth teams to the golden awesome fun fast plays and action and some shots with three home runs tonight,” said Coach Newland. “Twenty (25 win seasons) in a row and on to 26-4 and can’t wait to get the opportunity to play Taylor for a Gold Medal Friday.”
“The girls put on a show and we try to push them towards it,” he added.
The Lady Wave Softball program has won 15 of the last 17 Gold Medal District Championships.
Burns went the distance for Greenville, tossing 5.0 scoreless innings on 3 hits and no walks while striking out eight batters.
Burns paced the Lady Wave at the plate, going 2-3 with 2 home runs, 5 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Mahayla Cook was 2-2, 1 HBP, 2 RBI and a run. Cromwell was 2-3 including a double, Brubaker went 1-2, 1 RBI, 1 run, Arnett 1-2, 2 runs, McLear 1-2, a walk, 2 runs, Burke 1-3, 1 run, McDermitt 1 run, Bryson 1 run, and Leach a walk.
Cleaves Taylor plated a run in the bottom of the first inning to defeat Batavia 1-0 and will take on the Lady Wave for the District Championship this Friday at Carlisle High School with a 5 p.m. start time.
BOX SCORE
123 456 7 R H E
000 00X X 0 3 3 Clinton Massie
202 6XX X 10 10 0 Greenville
