With their backs against the wall on Tuesday night the North Greene softball team rallied past Unaka for a key win in District 1-1A action.
The Lady Huskies used seven hits to score five runs in the sixth inning to flip the lead before collecting an 8-6 win.
“We did just enough to get it done tonight,” North Greene coach Avery Weems said. “It was a gutsy win. They made the plays late in the game and never gave up. It was good to see them play with urgency. They were aggressive with their backs against the wall, and they got an important win.”
With the win North Greene takes control of the District 1-1A standings. The Lady Huskies improve to 6-0 in league play, while Unaka drops to 5-1. The two teams will be back in action on Thursday in Stoney Creek. North Greene will then wrap up league play on Saturday at Cloudland.
“It was really important to win the first one,” Weems said. “We go up there Thursday knowing we can beat them. We know we didn’t play our best, and we know they are a really good team. We’ll have to come back better on Thursday.”
North Greene went into the bottom of the sixth inning trailing 5-3 and to that point had struggled to make solid contact at the plate. But then everything changed and the Lady Huskies exploded for five runs.
Addi Dean got things going by laying down a bunt that the Lady Rangers were not ready for and she beat it out for a single. Next Matti Phillips blasted a double deep into left field that scored Dean from second.
Charlie Turnmire tied the game when she dropped a pop fly into the void behind third base for another double. The Lady Huskies took the lead at 6-5 when Heidi Trentham sent one the other way for an RBI single.
With the defense moved up expecting a bunt Eva Leonard ripped a groundball through the left side. Hannah Brooks then split the left-center gap with a two-run single that stretched the lead to 8-5 before the Lady Rangers could get out of the inning.
“Early in the game I didn’t feel like we had very good at bats. We weren’t making the adjustments I’d like to see, but late in the game we did make those adjustments,” Weems said. “Addi got things going with bunt single, and Matti followed with a two-strike double. After that we got rolling, and hitting can be contagious. It was just like a boulder going down the hill, and the momentum kept building.”
Unaka did get one run back in the seventh inning. Devalynn Harter sent a chopper straight up the middle. She scored when Brooklyn Campbell sent a line drive to centerfield. The Lady Rangers’ comeback attempt ended there.
Tuesday’s action started with North Greene scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. Kinlea Eastep led off the side by sending a groundball straight up the middle. She stole second and went to third when Leonard dropped a bunt single right in front of the dish.
Brooks pushed across the first run on a groundout, and Leonard scored on a passed ball for a 2-0 lead.
Unaka’s first run crossed the plate in the top of the third inning. Campbell landed a fly ball in centerfield that scored Harter from second.
The Lady Rangers went in front 4-2 in the fourth frame.
Kacie Bare evened the score at 2-2 when she got a groundball through the right side to score Katlyn Dugger.
With two outs Kelsey Pasquale followed with a RBI singles, and Harter came up with an RBI double.
North Greene got one run back in the fifth inning. Turnmire got things going by dropping a pop fly into right field, and a fortuitous bounce allowed her to reach third.
Eastep scored courtesy runner Kylee Listek with a double that split the left-center gap, but she was thrown out at third to end the inning before the Lady Huskies had a chance to drive in the tying run.
Unaka stretched the lead to 5-3 in the top of the sixth inning when Bare sent a solo home run over the left field wall.
North Greene finished the day with 12 hits, and seven came in the decisive sixth inning. Turnmire was 2-for-3 with a double, triple and an RBI. Leonard was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Eastep was 2-for-3 with a double and one RBI. Phillips had a double, and Brooks had three RBIs.
Brooks earned the win from the circle. In seven innings she struck out six, walked none and allowed 11 hits. In the process Brooks earned her 400th career strikeout.
