GREENVILLE – The Greenville Lady Wave softball team came up short Saturday, falling 9-7 to Tri-Village despite outhitting the Patriots 10-8.
Tri-Village entered the game fresh off a perfect 30-0 state championship season in 2025 and returned seven seniors. Greenville, meanwhile, came into the year with just two seniors on the roster after finishing 27-3 a season ago.
Greenville appeared to be in control early, erasing a 1-0 deficit with a big second inning and later building a 6-3 lead, but Tri-Village used a late rally to claim the win.
“We hit the ball well,” said Tri-Village coach Emily Osborne. “It was a good win against Greenville. We battled back; that’s a good team.”
“A lot we can clean up on,” said Greenville coach Jerrod Newland. “With walks and errors, we gave them 14 bases today, and nine of those runs scored, and you can’t do that against good teams.”
Tri-Village struck first in the top of the opening inning when Baker grounded out to score a run for a 1-0 lead.
The Lady Wave answered in impressive fashion in the bottom of the second. Greenville erupted for five runs on five hits to turn the game around and grab a 5-1 advantage. The key hit in the inning came from Shaffer, who delivered a two-run single on a six-pitch at-bat.
“We had some errors early on,” Osborne said. “We should never have been in the position we were in, so I would like to see the errors on defense cleaned up and executed at the plate.”
Greenville added another run in the third inning to stretch its lead to 6-3, with the run scoring on a Tri-Village error.
The Patriots stayed within striking distance before delivering the decisive blow in the top of the sixth. Tri-Village scored five runs in the inning, taking advantage of limited opportunities and coming through with one big swing. McCarroll provided that moment, blasting a grand slam to center field after a seven-pitch at-bat to push Tri-Village in front 9-6.
“There were four or five runs with two outs and nobody on base,” Newland said. “Everybody says, two outs; get one. Well, we scored five in the one inning with two outs and nobody on, and we gave up five with two outs and nobody on, and then four.”
Greenville added one run in the bottom half of the sixth but could get no closer the rest of the way.
“We weren’t sharp, and you can’t play ‘B’ games and win against good teams, but we’re growing up and learning,” Newland said.
Brubaker, Blumenstock, and Shaffer each collected two hits for the Lady Wave. Shaffer also drove in two runs while batting out of the No. 3 spot in the order.
Oswalt took the loss for Greenville, working 5 2/3 innings. She allowed eight runs, four earned, on seven hits while striking out eight and walking five.
Poling earned the win for Tri-Village, going the distance in the circle. She allowed 10 hits and seven runs, only one of them earned, while striking out three and walking two over seven innings.
McCarroll led Tri-Village offensively with five RBIs, highlighted by the sixth-inning grand slam. Greer and Mead each added two hits for the Patriots, while Baker drew two walks as Tri-Village finished with five free passes in the game.
Although Greenville finished with more hits, Tri-Village made the most of its late opportunities to complete the comeback after trailing 5-1 in the second inning.
“The lineup we started game one, it will change every game for about 10-12 games, so we will get better,” Newland said. “We’re young, we only have two seniors.”
BOX SCORE:
123 456 7 R H E
102 105 0 9 8 3 Tri-Village
051 000 1 7 10 3 Greenville
