CARLISLE – The Greenville Lady Wave breezed through the 2024 OHSAA DII softball tournament earning its 16th District Championship in the past 18 years with a 9-0 win over Cleves Taylor.
“We were ready to play today,” said Greenville coach Jerrod Newland. “We’ve been geared up for about a week for this one, ready to roll. Their senior class lost like 9 (career) games. We were ready to play today. Zoey Burns … whew!”
“Sixteen out of the last 18 Golds, it’s great,” Newland continued. “Gold’s worth more than silver in this crazy economy. Sixteen district titles is flat-out nuts. Getting here 16 times is cool but winning it is nuts because you’re playing good teams. It’s not like you’re getting cakewalks in our division. We just want to play well.”
The Lady Wave have not given up a run in winning the District Title having run-ruled Trotwood-Madison 12-0, Oakwood 10-0, Clinton Massie 10-0, and one run short of run-ruling Taylor in Saturday’s title game. Taylor also came into the championship game surrendering no runs entering the title game.
“Proud of the kids,” said Coach Newland. “Deja Vue is down here again this year, getting the game here. Another Darke County team punches its ticket.”
Greenville’s 2023 First Team All-Ohio pitcher Zoey Burns went the distance allowing no runs, two hits, and no walks while striking out 10 Lady Yellow Jackets.
“Lights out – when Zo goes we go,” Newland stated. “She gears up, ready to play, just flat-out stud. She pitched well and kept them off-balance.”
The Lady Wave took an early first inning 1-0 lead with Burns drilling a one-out double to left and sophomore Kendall Cromwell lashing a run-scoring double to left.
Taylor put two runners on in the top of the second by way of hit-by pitch with Burns striking out the last two batters swinging to thwart any hope of the Lady Yellow Jackets plating a run.
Greenville tacked on a run in the bottom of the third with Kylar Arnett leading off with a single to left, a steal of second, and moving to third on a passed ball setting up a Cromwell RBI groundout to short, scoring Arnett and a 2-0 Lady Wave lead.
The Lady Wave’s senior third baseman, Mahayla Cook, led off the bottom of the fourth with a rocket to center and advanced to third on the throw. Savannah Leach stroked a one-out run-scoring single to right and quickly stole second and scored on a Hailey McDermitt single to right giving Greenville a 4-0 advantage with four innings in the book.
With Burns doing the work on the mound and due to lead off the bottom of the fifth, Coach Newland told his starting pitcher she had just six more outs to get for the win and to take a seat on the bench to rest while he planned to pinch hit for her. Burns quickly told Coach Newland she wanted to take her turn at the plate, and with Newland agreeing to her request, she stepped to the plate and crushed a homer deep to center, giving the Lady Wave a 5-0 lead.
“What got me today, we’re up four zip in the fifth, and I look at Zo, and she leads off, and I’m like, ‘Oh honey, let’s go sit down, get some water, and I’ll hit for you’ … she looked at me and said, ‘Coach I want to hit’ and the coaches all laughed so I said, well Zo, go hit, and she hit it over the fence. She’s a competitive kid and that last inning I was going to hit for her and Denny said let her hit and she hit it 200 feet to the track, inches, a centimeter on the bat – a good day for softball.”
Greenville added another three runs in the inning with Cromwell legging out a single to short, pinch runner Kara Blumenstock stole second and scored on an Ella McLear RBI single to right. McLear swiped second and scored on Cook’s RBI single. A Cook steal of second led to the team’s fourth run of the inning with Leach drilling an RBI double to left upping the Lady Wave lead to 8-0 after five.
The Lady Wave scored one final run in the bottom of the sixth getting a leadoff Arnett single, a steal of second, a heads-up steal of third, and scoring on a passed ball for a final score of 9-0.
“In big games, people pick things they want to do, and attacking Taylor with two great pitchers – they don’t give up runs,” Coach Newland said. “We had a mission; we were going to hit the middle of the ball, we were very aggressive at the plate, and we were going to steal bases and check, check, check, nine nothing, Greenville.”
The Lady Wave played aggressively on the base paths, stealing 9 of 10 bases, led by Arnett’s 3 steals, while the team played error-free ball in the field.
“I love this group, I love my seniors, I love my coaching staff, I love the team, I love the daily grind, it’s fun, we love each other, we work hard for each other,” Coach Newland stated. “Today I saw kids cheering for their teammates and coming out of their shoes. I think Addie Burke pulled some muscles fist bumping, I think she beat me on a few. We wear our emotions, we play hard and pretty in your face and at you but if you’re on our side you’ll love us, if you’re not we’re the Yankees and Cowboys – and I love it.”
“Our offensive approach and mindset the last 10 days – hats off to the coaching staff for what we’re doing and just trying,” Newland added.
Next up for Greenville is the Springfield Kenton Ridge Lady 13-4 winners over Franklin. The first-round regional game will be played on Wednesday, May 22, at Wright State University, with a 5 p.m. start time.
“There have been a lot of storied battles with them,” Newland said of Kenton Ridge. “Knocked them out of the regional finals last year in a great game down at Wright State.”
Mahayla Cook went 2-3 with a single and double, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1 steal; Kylar Arnett was 2-4, 2 runs, 3 steals; Zoey Burns 2-4 including a double and home run, 1 RBI, 1 run; Kendall Cromwell 2-4, a single and double, 2 RBI.
Savannah Leach went 2-3 with a single and double, 2 RBI and 2 stolen bases; Haleigh McDermitt 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 steal; Ella McLear 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 run, 1 steal; Addie Burke, HBP, 1 steal; Skylar Bryson 1 run; Kara Blumenstock 1 run, 1 stolen base.
BOX SCORE
123 456 7 R H E
000 000 0 0 2 1 Taylor
101 241 X 9 12 0 Greenville
