The Greeneville softball team batted the ball all over the park on Tuesday evening on its way to starting District 2-3A play with a win over Cherokee.
The Lady Greene Devils pounded 15 hits, including six that went for extra bases as they took down the Lady Chiefs 11-1 in five innings.
“The girls came out hitting the ball and when you do that good things happen. I’m super pleased with them,” Greeneville coach Lilly Million said. “We told them going into the game that losing is not an option. Winning home games is super important. That was the mindset we had to have. They came ready to play and that made all the difference.”
Seven different Lady Greene Devils earned multiple hits on Tuesday. Kinslee Lewandowski went 2-for-3 with a double, home run and four RBIs. Baylee Ramsey was 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs. Brooke Parsley was 2-for-3 with a home run. Kaley Garland went 2-for-3 with a double. Brynlee Jones was 2-for-3, Gabby Atchison was 2-for-3 and Brylee Tullock was 2-for-2.
“Our momentum carried one at bat to the next. We talk a lot about doing our job at the plate, and that means moving runners when they are on base. We had a lot of girls do their job today,” Million said.
Cherokee was able to get on the board first on Tuesday and took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Lilly Musslewhite launched a double into left field that scored Ariel McPeek from left field.
Jamie Jackson got out of the inning with a strikeout and left Musslewhite on third base. That turned into a theme on Tuesday for Jackson as she stranded six runners on the base path. She went all five innings with seven strikeouts, three walks and five hits allowed.
“Jamie pitched phenomenal today, this is the best she has pitched this year,” Million said. “She had five or six different pitches working. She was working the corners of the plate. When she pitches like that it makes the defense’s job easier and it makes hitting a little easier.”
Greeneville wasted little time answering and needed just six pitches to even the score. Garland led off by firing a groundball past the third baseman. After Garland stole second Ramsey sent a line drive into left field for an RBI double.
Jones got a groundball through the left side and then Lewandowski lifted the score to 3-1 when she lofted another double into deep left field.
The Lady Devils stretched their lead to 8-1 in the second inning.
Garland again got things started by burning the Lady Chiefs with a double to left field. Ramsey then split the left-center gap with an RBI double.
Ramsey scored when Jones sent a groundball to the left side that was too hot to handle. Lewandowski followed with a four-base knock that sailed over the left-field wall.
The hits kept coming for the Lady Devils and Brylee Tullock dropped a bloop single short of the shortstop. Atchison then laid down a bunt single and when the Lady Chiefs errantly tried to throw from first to third Tullock scored to push the lead to 8-1.
In the fourth inning Greeneville plated three more runs to take an 11-1 lead. Parsley led off the side by rocketing a line drive over the centerfield wall for a solo home run.
With two outs Tullock got a soft single to land on the edge of the grass, and she moved up on another bunt single by Atchison. Both runners scored when Jackson sent a line drive over the shortstop.
The Lady Greene Devils will be back in action on Thursday against Volunteer in another District 2-3A contest.
