GREENVILLE – The Lady Wave varsity softball team opened the 2025 season play with a 15-0 five-inning run-rule conference win over the visiting Xenia Lady Buccaneers.
“Great day to get started out in the open,” said veteran Greenville coach Jerrod Newland. “Fifty degrees and crazy weather out here, a little chillier and windier. Great day for softball, getting started. Proud of the 2025 team and excited for what we have going.”
Three Lady Wave freshmen left their mark in the season opener, with Ella Oswalt going the distance on the mound, tossing a 1-hitter in her LWSB varsity debut while striking out 13 batters and no walks through five innings to earn the win. Starting shortstop, Leah Force played flawless ball while collecting two hits and scoring three runs, and Riley Thomas came off the bench to club a two run homer over the left field fence into the face of stiff wind in her first varsity atbat for the Lady Wave.
“Oswalt throws a great game on the mound, and Leah starts at shortstop as a freshman,” Newland noted. “Riley drives that into the wind; that’s pretty awesome.”
“There’s three or four kids in that class, a good group, and they come out today ready to play,” added Newland. “They have been excited to play for a couple years, and all of them did something. It’s pretty impressive out of all three, and I love where we’re at.”
The Lady Wave took an early 3-0 first-inning lead with a Leah Force single to left, a Zoey Burns single, a Kendall Cromwell walk loading the bases, and a two-out 2-RBI single to right off the bat of sophomore Lizzie Shaffer. Pinch runner Caleigh Stebbins scored on a wild pitch.
Oswalt struck out the side in the top of the second, bringing the Lady Wave to the plate to add three runs to lead 6-0 after two complete. Morgan Thompson singled to center to lead off the top of the LWSB second. Kylar Arnett reached on an error, with Thompson scoring. Burns knocked an RBI single to center, followed by a run-scoring single off the bat of Oswalt.
Oswalt again struck out the Lady Buccaneers 1-2-3 in the top of the third, setting up a big six-run third inning for the Lady Wave, which included a “leave the base too soon” keeping the game respectable.
Riley Thompson led off the bottom of the third with a hit batsman, Rylie Pfledderer was safe on fielder’s choice with everyone safe, Arnett grounded into a RBI fielder’s choice, Force reached by way of an error to center, and Burns knocked a RBI single to left.
Oswalt reached on an error to center, Cromwell reached on an error to short, Shaffer’s grounder to third went for an error, and Lily Brubaker drove a two-run single to center, giving the Lady Wave a 12-0 advantage with three innings in the book.
Xenia picked up their lone hit of the night with a single to right, with Oswalt picking up an additional three strikeouts, keeping the visitors off the board.
The fourth inning proved to be the Greenville’s final plate appearance of the night, with Force hitting a two-out line drive single to center, setting up a line drive home run to left directly into the teeth of a strong wind off the bat of freshman Riley Thomas giving the Lady Wave a 14-0 advantage.
Greenville closed out scoring on the night with Stebbins reaching on an error to first and Shaffer knocking a RBI infield single for a final score of 15-0.
“We’re getting better every day; it’s still March, really excited,” said Coach Newland. “The puzzle piece today just keeps revolving and moving, and everybody is waiting to see the lineup today. It will be totally different tomorrow, and we’ll put something different ou“My goal is to put something different out there every game just to make the coaching staff mad,” Newland said with a chuckle. “That’s my goal for the season. Great day for the kids.”
Zoe Burn led the Lady Wave at the plate going 3-3 with 2 RBI, 1 run; Shaffer went 2-3 with a walk, 3 RBI; Force was 2-4 with 3 runs scored; Thomas 1-1, a home run, 2 RBI, 1 run; Brubaker 1-4, 2 RBI; Oswalt 1-3, 1 RBI; Yundt 1-1, 1 run; Thompson 1-2, 1 HBP, 1 run; Arnett 1 RBI, 2 runs; Cromwell 2 RBI; Stebbins 2 runs; Reese Stewart 1 run; Bri Klosterman 1 run; Jaelyn Christman 1 run.
“Played 16 kids,” said Newland. “Sixteen kids on the lineup card today and played all 16 here in the varsity game.”
BOX SCORE
123 456 7 R H E
336 3XX X 15 12 1 Greenville
000 00X X 0 0 6 Xenia
