COLUMBUS – The Greenville Lady Wave bounced back from a 10-0 loss to perennial DI powerhouse Lebanon Lady Warriors to defeat the West Jefferson Lady Roughriders 13-3 in a 5-inning run rule game.
The Lady Wave fielding struggles were too much to overcome in giving up 7 first-inning runs to the Lady Warriors in dropping the team’s first game of the young season.
“Game one should have been 0-0 in the third, 2 outs and no one on and we give up 7 – 7 outing again,” said Greenville coach Jerrod Newland. “Had 7 baserunners and loaded them in the first. Should have been 3 / 4 zip. Lebanon is a good team and final four last year.”
After West Jefferson jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning in Saturday’s second game, the Lady Wave exploded for 13 runs in the first 5 innings to earn the non-conference win and make the long return ride home to Greenville a little easier.
Back-to-back first-inning errors led to 3 West Jefferson unearned runs giving the Madison County girls a 3-0 advantage with the Lady Wave coming to the plate for their half of the opening inning.
Greenville took advantage of a Roughriders first-inning error, 2 walks, a hit batsman, a wild pitch and a fielder’s choice, and a run-scoring Haleigh McDermitt single to lead 4-3 with one inning in the book.
Zoey Burn set Jefferson down in order in the top of the second including back-to-back strikeouts while Greenville was unable to push a run across with singles from Burns and Mahayla Cook in the bottom of the inning.
Marissa Hicks and Kylar Arnett each hit third-inning run-scoring doubles to push the Lady Wave lead to 6-3 and made it a 10-3 game after four innings with Mahayla Cook drilling a leadoff home run and Morgan Thompson knocking a 2-run single with a run scoring on the throw to second.
Greenville put the game away in the bottom of the fifth plating 3 runs to earn the non-conference run-rule win.
“Played West Jefferson and hit well,” Newland stated. “All three kids threw very well and we had some clutch hits. Cook hit one out and beat a nice group.”
“Proud of the kids and the start,” added Newland. “It’s still March but can’t say that again.”
With the win, Greenville improves to 4-1 on the season and gets back into MVL action this week.
“Huge week next week with Butler and Stebbins due up and the amazing weekend action too,” Coach Newland noted. “Some fun stuff at the Stadium.”
Burns earned the win for Greenville pitching 4.0 innings, allowing no earned runs, 2 hits, and no walks while striking out 5 hitters. Liz Shaffer pitched 1.0 inning, with no runs, no hits, and no walks to preserve the win.
Mahayla Cook continued her torrid hitting going 2-2 including a home run, her fourth in two days, a single, a walk, an RBI, and 2 runs scored. Thompson went 1-3 and 3 RBIs; Burke was 1-4, 1 run; Kylar Arnett 1-2 (double) 1 walk, 1 RBI, 1 run; Hicks 1-1 (double) 1 RBI; McDermitt 1-3, 1 walk, 2 RBIs; Ella McLear 1-2, 1 run; Burns 1-4; Kendall Cromwell 1 walk, 1 run; Lily Brubaker 1 run; Jaelyn Christman 1 run; Savannah Leach 1 walk, 1 RBI, 2 runs; Carlee Yundt 1 run.
BOX SCORE
123 456 1 R H E
300 00X X 3 2 3 West Jefferson
402 43X X 13 9 2 Greenville
