GREENVILLE – The Lady Wave Softball team defeated the visiting Tippecanoe Lady Red Devis 14-4 in a five-inning run-rule MVL game at Stebbins Field, home of the Lady Wave.
“Great day for Lady Wave Softball coming out here hitting the ball square,” said Greenville coach Jerrod Newland. “First inning had two outs, Kendall busts through to get two and look at the scoreboard, scored every inning consistently pushing the bat, hitting the ball hard.”
Tipp went down 1-2-3 in the top of the first bringing the Lady Wave to the plate in the bottom of the inning to plate 3 runs, all coming with two outs. Zoey Burns knocked a one-out single to left with pinch runner Skylar Bryson coming around to score on a two-out single off the bat of Ella McLear, her first of four hits on the night to lead 1-0.
A Kennedy Cromwell single plated McLear and an Addie Burke solid RBI triple to the corner in right put Greenville up 3-0 with one inning in the book.
Tipp failed to score in the top of the second while the Lady Wave got an opening R Davidson walk leading off the bottom of the second with Haleigh McDermitt reaching on a Tipp error and Kylar Arnett legging out an infield bunt single loading the bases with no outs.
Burns followed with a screaming liner to center only to have a shoestring catch double up the Lady Wave with a run-scoring from third for a two-out 4-0 lead. An Arnett steal of second, a Mahala Cook walk, and a McLear RBI single to center gave Greenville a 5-0 lead after two complete.
“Zoey hit those two line drives,” Newland stated. “You see them as outs in the book and they’re probably the two hardest hit balls I’ve seen in a long time – solid, good stuff for the kids and team.”
The Lady Devils battled back with back-to-back two-out singles and a Greenville error to plate a run in the top of the third for a 5-1 score.
Greenville answered with a Burke single, a Savannah Leach double to center, an RBI fielder’s choice off the bat of Rielynn Davidson, and a McDermitt sacrifice fly to left upping the Lady Wave lead to 7-1 with three innings in the book.
Tipp went down in order in the top of the fourth with Greenville tacking on two runs in the bottom of the inning to lead 10-1. Scoring came with Cook reaching on an error, a McLear single, a Burke RBI single, and a 2-run Leach double to left.
A Greenville pitching change was greeted with three straight Tipp singles and a 2-run Lady Wave error plating 3 Lady Devils’ fifth-inning runs for a 10-4 score with Greenville coming to the plate in the bottom of the fifth.
The Lady Wave scored four two-out runs in the bottom of the fifth beginning with a one-out Arnett walk, a two-out Cook single, a 2-run McLear double to center, an RBI Cromwell single, and a walk-off Burke single to center scoring courtesy runner Kara Blumenstock for the MVL win.
“Burke walk-off winner 3-0 pitch,” Newland said. “I let her green light – basehit walk-off winner.”
Zoey Burns earned the win by pitching 4.0 innings allowing no earned runs, 4 hits, and no walks while striking out 7 batters. Liz Shaffer tossed 1.0 innings in relief with 1 earned run on 3 hits and 2 strikeouts.
“Zoey sharp out there for a few innings,” said Coach Newland.
Greenville pounded out 15 hits in 4.2 innings at the plate. Following 2 consecutive error-free games, the Lady Wave was saddled with 3 errors on the day.
“Like where we’re at with the kids passing the bat,” said Newland. “McLear 4-4 on signing day, you can’t make that up any better than that.”
On the day Ella McLear signed to play softball for Bluffton University, the Lady Wave senior went 4-4 with a double, 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored and Addie Burke extended her hitting streak to 8 straight hits while going 4-4 with her second triple of the season, 3 RBIs and 2 runs.
Cromwell was 2-4 with 2 RBIs; Leach 2-3 including a double, 2 RBIs and a run; Cook 1-3, a walk and 2 runs; Arnett 1-3 with a walk, 2 runs; Burns 1-3, McDermitt 1 RBI; Davidson a walk and 1 RBI; 1 RBI; Blumenstock 2 runs; Lily Brubaker 1 run; Bryson 1 run.
BOX SCORE
123 456 7 R H E
001 03X X 4 7 2 Tippecanoe
322 34X X 14 15 3 Greenville
