After a rough start to the Tiny Day/ Red Edmonds Memorial Tournament on Saturday the North Greene softball team bounced back on Sunday to collect two wins over cross-county rivals while winning the tournament’s Bronze Bracket.
The Lady Huskies finished up the day by collecting a 12-1 win over West Greene in the Bronze Bracket championship game.
“Today was much improved from yesterday, we had a tough day yesterday and a I was glad to see them bounce back today,” North Greene coach Avery Weems said. “It was an all-around improvement. We hit well in both games, and we got good pitching. It would have been easy to get discouraged after yesterday, and frankly yesterday was embarrassing at the plate. But it was really good to see some girls have some better at bats today.”
From the circle Hannah Brooks was in control for the Lady Huskies as she struck out nine, walked one and allowed five hits in five innings of work for the Lady Huskies.
“Hannah was locating the ball well and getting ahead in the count. She threw her curve ball really well, and her command was just way better today,” Weems said. “It’s big time to get that from her. When you have runners on base those punch outs are so big in putting out the fire.”
At the plate North Greene earned seven hits from seven different players and 10 different Lady Huskies reached base safely.
Kennedy Malone had an RBI triple while Chloe Keys had a double with two RBIs. Charlie Turnmire had a double and reached base three times. Brooks had two RBIs as well. That came a day after North Greene managed just three hits over two games.
“It was really nice today that we could be a threat one through nine in the order,” Weems said. “If you don’t have any holes in the batting order you are going to be hard to beat.”
After Brooks struck two batters and used nine pitches to get out of the top half of the first inning North Greene plated two runs in the bottom of the frame.
Kinlea Eastep and Matti Phillips each walked to reach base, and Eastep scored when Brooks sent a sacrifice fly to center field. Phillips scored when an infield error with two outs let the ball reach the grass.
In the second inning North Greene’s lead grew to 6-0. Turnmire led off the side by sending a ground-rule double to left field. She went on to score on a wild pitch. Madison McLain reached on a walk and scored when Eastep lined a single up the middle. Eastep scored on a wild pitch, and Brooks sent a shot through the left side to score Blevins who reached on a walk.
After Brooks struck out the side North Greene’s lead grew to 10-0 in the third inning. Heidi Trentham led of the frame with a groundball through the right side, Turnmire worked a walked and McLain was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Trentham scored on a passed ball and the next two runners scored when Keys sent a fly ball to right field. Phillips split the left center gap with a line drive that pushed across the fourth run of the frame.
West Geene finally found some life in the fourth inning. Kaylee Willett got things started with a single to left field. Alexis Cutshall knocked her in by firing a shot into right field. An error allowed Cutshall to reach third, but Brooks left her there by striking out the final two batters of the frame.
In the bottom of the fourth inning Josie Graham got things started with a walk and Malone scored her by slamming a triple into the right-field corner. Malone scored on a ground out to move North Greene’s lead to 12-1.
Willett led West Greene’s bats by going 2-for-2 with a double while scoring the Lady Buffaloes’ lone run.
Cutshall took the loss in the circle. In 1 1/3 innings she struck out none, walked four, and allowed two hits. Abby Cluesman threw 2 2/3 innings with three walks and five hits allowed.
North Greene 14, Chuckey-Doak 6
To get to the championship game North Greene first had to take on Chuckey-Doak and picked up a 14-6 win over their cross-county rivals.
The Lady Huskies used 12 hits from seven different players to scored their 14 runs. Hannah Brooks and Josie Graham highlighted the hit parade with back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning. In the game Brooks was 3-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Graham was 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Loren Blevins was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Charlie Turnmire went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, and Heidi Trentham had two RBIs.
In the circle Matti Phillips threw all four innings with two strikeouts, three walks and six hits allowed.
Chuckey-Doak earned six on Sunday, with Trayln Southerland leading the way. She went 2-for-2 with two home runs and three RBIs. Emmie Tipton had a double.
Jayden Myers took the loss for Chuckey-Doak. In four innings she struck out one, walked seven and allowed 12 hits.
West Greene 12, South Greene 5
West Greene advanced to the championship game on Sunday with a 12-5 win over South Greene in the semifinals.
The Lady Buffaloes out hit South Greene 12-2 in the win. Aubree Everett went 4-for-4 for West Greene with two RBIs and three runs scored. Kaylee Willett was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Autum Carter was 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Hayley Arnold had a double.
For South Greene Neveah Davis and Macy Roberts each had a single.
In the circle Abby Cluesman earned the win. In four innings she struck out two, walked seven and allowed two hits.
For South Greene Kortney Bailey threw one inning with one strike out, one walk and five hits allowed. Davis threw three innings with two strikeouts, three walks and seven hits allowed.
