The Greeneville softball team is going to have a regroup quickly after a rough start to the District 2-3A Tournament on Monday night at Hardin Park.
The Lady Devils took an early 2-0 lead, but could not hold on to it as Grainger came alive in the sixth inning to take a 12-2 victory.
“I’m not super pleased with the outcome, but you don’t win every night. Some things fell their way, and some things didn’t fall our way, that’s how sports go,” Greeneville coach Lilly Million said. “We’ve faced some adversity now, and I’m ready to see how they fight. It can only go up from up here, and we’ll see how they claw themselves out of this hole.”
The Lady Greene Devils are now playing to keep their season alive as they take on Claiborne on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in an elimination game. Grainger will face Volunteer in the winner’s bracket final.
“Tomorrow we have to focus on making the routine outs. We can’t let two runs turn into four, and let four runs turn into six,” Million said. “We have to make outs and get out of the inning. We have to take things one at bat at a time, and one inning at a time. They’ll come back better tomorrow, and I’m ready to see it.”
Monday night could not have gotten off to a much better start for the Lady Devils as leadoff hitter Kaley Garland took a powerful hack at the first pitch she saw and hammered a no-doubt shot over the left-field fence.
While Greeneville put plenty of balls in play on Monday, it would not score again until the fifth frame as both defenses proved to have the upper hand early.
Greeneville’s best defensive effort came in the top of the third inning when Grainger loaded the bases with no outs. Pitcher Brynlee Jones handled the first out when she took a soft groundball and sent it back to catcher Brooke Parsley for the force out. Next shortstop Kyla Jobe’s throw beat the runner back to the plate for another force out. A fly out to Baylee Ramsey in centerfield ended the side with no damage done.
Greeneville left runners in scoring position in the second, third and fourth innings before going in front 2-0 in the fifth inning.
Ramsey reached on a fielder’s choice and went to third when Jobe fired a double into the left-field fence. Jones sent a sacrifice fly into right field that allowed Ramsey to score.
Grainger’s bats came alive in the sixth inning and Jaylee Hayes tied the game at 2-2 with a two-run home run. Things did not stop there, and Kaylee Sturgil sent a ground ball through the right side that scored two, giving Grainger its first lead at 4-2.
Allie Trent knocked in Sturgill and Grace Lincoln followed with an RBI double that put the Lady Grizzlies on top 6-2.
Greeneville had no answer in the bottom the inning, and then Grainger scored six more runs on four hits in the seventh inning to stretch the lead to 12-2. Sturgill had a double and Trent had a triple.
Greeneville earned eight hits in the losing effort. Garland was 2-for-4 with a home run. Jobe went 2-for-4 with a double. Ramsey had two hits and Addie Lamons had a double.
Jones took the loss in the circle. In 6 1/3 innings she struck out five, walked three and allowed nine hits.
Grainger earned 12 hits on Monday. Five went for extra bases and 11 of them came in the final two innings.
