GREENVILLE — The Greenville Green Wave showed composure and consistency in finishing what they started, defeating the West Carrollton Pirates 7-1 in a rain-delayed Miami Valley League contest that began Monday in West Carrollton and concluded Wednesday at Sater Heights Park.
Picking up a game interrupted by weather can be a challenge, but Greenville handled the restart with focus, building on an early lead and backing it up with dominant pitching and steady defense.
The Green Wave wasted no time getting on the board in the opening inning. Michael Fox lined a single down the left field line, and a West Carrollton error helped push across two runs for an early advantage. Greenville added to its lead in the third inning, using patience at the plate as Brody Baumann worked a walk that eventually came around to score.
From there, it was all about execution.
Freshman Drew Newland delivered a poised and efficient performance on the mound, going the distance to earn the win. Newland allowed just two hits and one unearned run over seven innings, striking out eight and issuing no walks while needing just 85 pitches to navigate the Pirates’ lineup.
“We went to West Carrollton, we had a good start to a game, the weather got the best of it, and that was the day our pitcher was lights out and doing incredible,” said Greenville coach Chad Henry. “We come back and had that two-day delay. Focus is something we have lacked a little bit. We really wanted to make sure we came out and did that, and we did. We came out, we attacked them. One small lapse, but we recovered from it really quickly and made up for it.”
Newland’s ability to command the strike zone and mix his pitches kept West Carrollton off balance all night, while his defense provided steady support behind him.
“I cherry-picked his appearances at the beginning being a freshman,” Henry said of his starter. “You don’t want to ruin confidence and things like that. We had him up and he threw well against Fairborn, but he would have been due up against Butler in the next one, and I thought I’m not going to make his first varsity start against Butler. So we held him off, and he came out and beat Stebbins for his first win.”
Now settling into a larger role, the freshman continues to impress.
“He has our first two conference wins, but for a freshman, he comes out, he’s efficient, he mixes his pitches, he locates really well,” Henry added. “Even out in the field, he has a sure glove and a very accurate arm. I think his dad tells him all the time, if you can’t locate where you’re throwing, you don’t have a lot of business being out there — and he certainly does really well with it.”
At the plate, Greenville produced a balanced offensive effort, tallying 11 hits on the night. Fox led the way from the middle of the lineup, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Baumann added a 2-for-3 performance that included a double, a single, a walk, a run scored, and an RBI.
Chilly Jasenski contributed with a 2-for-4 outing and an RBI, Ethan Jones drilled an RBI double and walked twice, while Gibson Steyer, Isaac Kerg, Troy Lavy, and Newland each recorded hits. The Green Wave also stayed aggressive on the bases, swiping five stolen bases, with Steyer and Kerg each stealing two.
“Drew can hit — he’s had some big ones,” Henry said. “He had his coming out against Dayton Christian and had a guy up there throwing upper 80s, and he hits a double off the left field wall. He can get around on it, he can do it, so we’re going to spend the next three years putting some weight on that body and turning him into a heck of a prospect.”
Defensively, Greenville remained sharp, turning a double play and limiting opportunities for the Pirates to build momentum.
West Carrollton’s Swaden took the loss, going three and one-third innings while allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits, striking out four and walking two.
With timely hitting, aggressive base running, and a standout performance on the mound, Greenville controlled the game from start to finish in the 7-1 MVL victory — a complete effort that showcased the Green Wave’s ability to handle adversity and close out a win.
BOX SCORE:
123 456 7 R H E
201 200 2 7 11 3 Greenville
000 100 0 1 2 2 West Carrollton
