Greeneville met with Volunteer in the Silver Bracket of the Tiny Day/ Red Edmonds Memorial Tournament on Sunday and one swing determined the outcome of the game in a 2-0 loss.
Both teams had met twice before this season and the Lady Devils lost both times 10-1 and 23-10. Today’s showing proved that even though their first two defeats were lopsided, the Lady Devils can still hang with the Lady Falcons. Volunteer only managed to add one more hit than Greeneville, 4-3, but that one hit mattered the most. Sydney New hit a two-run home run over the center field fence to score the game’s only two runs.
Brynlee Jones was Greeneville’s main source of offense with a pair of hits and pitched five quality innings only allowing four hits, one earned run, while striking out nine batters. She managed to provide two of Greeneville’s only three hits.
“We pitched really well today. I was really proud of Brynlee. She did her job and our defense was really good. They played well defensively. Just one hit cost us the game,” Greeneville coach Lilly Million said.
Million continued bragging on Jones by saying, “She did her job and more and we couldn’t ask more from her. She pitched probably one of the best games she’s pitched all year. She was hitting her spots extremely well and it was working well for us today.”
Volunteer senior pitcher Addyson Fisher pitched all six innings and held Greeneville scoreless. The Virginia Tech commit collected nine strikeouts and only allowed three hits.
Greeneville finished this year’s tournament with a 1-2 record and their overall record now sits at 10-12.
The opening inning was one of the only few times the Lady Devils threatened to score. Kaley Garland led off the game with a walk. After two-straight strikeouts, Jones landed a single into right field and advanced Garland to third. A groundout ended the opening frame.
Brynlee Jones and Destani Bailey both singled in the fourth inning, but nothing came as a result of the hits. Jones tried extending the single into a double, but was tagged out at the bag. A fly out ended the inning after Bailey’s hit.
The bottom of the fourth was when Volunteer delivered the game-changing blow. Zetta Smith led off and reached on an error. On the first pitch of the next at bat, Sydney New lifted a ball over the center field fence for a two-run home run.
With three outs to play with, Greeneville attempted to make a comeback. Kyla Jobe walked with one out in the final inning, but back-to-back groundouts ended the contest. Greeneville fell to Volunteer 2-0 in the silver bracket semifinals.
Coach Lilly Million reflected on her first experience coaching in the annual Tiny Day Tournament. “It’s been an okay experience. We’ve had some things not go our way, but it always feels nice to play locally and we like the convenience of being right here and loved playing on our field the other day. That was great and that was fun.”
