GREENE – The Greene varsity softball team remained undefeated on the season at 7-0, as they eventually toppled Unatego this past Monday, April 18, winning 3-2.
“I assumed it was gonna be a closer game due to the competition level,” said Greene head coach Rick Condon. “But our defense is solid so I expect us to be in every game we play, just because they know how to make the adjustments and they’re extremely coachable, every single one of the girls. It was a collective effort by everybody even the kids on the bench. Everyone was cheering, trying to make something happen.”
The Trojans and Spartans exchanged blows throughout the duration of the seven inning game as neither side seemed to be able to hold onto the lead for more than an inning or two.
“It was a battle from both teams all the way through. Unatego jumped out early on us, they scored a run in the first,” said Condon. “The girls realized they had to make adjustments, then we tied it up in the second. Unatego scored again in the fourth, defensively I don’t worry much. But its the offensive side where we have to keep pushing.”
As Condon attested the game saw The Spartans jump onto the scoreboard first when Becht knocked a sacrifice fly out which enabled allowed Leveille who was already on base to make it home.
It was Brittany Johns of Greene who capitalized on a passed ball from Unatego, to make it home and knot the score up at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning.
With two scoreless innings to follow in the third and fourth Unatego once again grabbed the lead Sperry hit a fly ball to center field, allowing the base runner on third, Cerar, to score.
Heading into the bottom of the fifth and still down one run, Greene needed a run to help their efforts on the day.
“We scored in the bottom of the fifth to tie it 2-2, then when we came in after that to hit I told the girls 'look this is where good teams shut down, but where great teams step up and make things happen,” said Condon.
The lady Trojans took the field in the bottom of the sixth, an inning that saw Maddie Brink hit a single to advance to first. However, Brink wouldn’t stay on first long, as she stole second, when Brittany Johns was up to the plate to bat. Johns finished the day going 1-3 with a run.
“When Maddie Brink got on and she stole second off of Brittany Johns at bat, even though Brittany struck out it was huge because it took focus away from their defense,” explained Condon.
It was Lydia Howard at the plate who came in clutch for the lady Trojans, when she knocked Brink home off her double to center field. Howard finished the day going 2-3 with an RBI, while Brink finished 2-3 with a run.
Alex Thompson, who pitched all seven innings for Greene, tossing only one strikeout on the day, finished out the seventh with her defense backing her up. Although Unatego managed to get two girls on base, Thompson and the defense stepped up their play to close out the game with a 3-2 victory.
“We were in a great situation, and I just had to trust that Lydia was going to connect and she came through with the double and that brought Maddie home,” said Condon. “Then they tried to rally on us after that but our defense shut them down.”
McKenna Sergi, Alex Thompson, and Abbey Sands each added a hit for Greene, with Sands adding a run in her effort in the win.
This is our first free day off (Yesterday, Tuesday April 19) that we have a chance to go over stuff that I have seen happening to us in all these past games. They couldn’t be more happy to just have practice but they realize there are things we need to work on so they’re excited to get going and get to work.”
Following the day off yesterday, Greene will face off against Bainbridge-Guilford later today, Wednesday April 20, at 4:30 p.m. in Bainbridge.
“We have bowled over teams but when the game is close they have not once backed down and that is going to make the difference,” said Condon. “BG on Wednesday, so it is gonna be another good one. We've gotta get our bats going, we are going to be battling and playing good teams the rest of the way out.”