The North Greene softball team has been riding high for over a month now, and after a 4-0 win over Greenback on Friday night in the Class 1A State Sectionals the Lady Huskies are showing no signs of slowing down.
With the win the Lady Huskies are headed to the Class 1A State Tournament for the sixth time in program history. They have now won 10 straight games. Since April 13 their record is 18-1, while their record for the year is 23-6.
“It feels really good to be going to the state tournament. It’s something we’ve talked about all year and these girls made it happen,” North Greene coach Avery Weems said. “”They are a great bunch, a talented bunch, they worked hard and they play really hard. All the credit goes to them. Tonight was all around team effort. Hannah (Brooks) pitched a good game. The defense made some important plays, and we did just enough on offense to win.”
The Class 1A State Tournament will begin on Tuesday and North Greene will open state-tournament play against Eagleville at 3 p.m. Central Time at McKnight Park in Murfreesboro.
“Oh, it feels great to be going to state,” North Greene senior Loren Blevins said. “I graduated yesterday, and if we lost today I think I would lose my mind. I’m so happy we won today and we get to keep going.”
The Lady Huskies were able to shake off the nerves quickly on Friday and jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
The top of the inning saw the Lady Cherokees put two aboard, but Hannah Brooks was able to end the threat by getting Liz Davis to chase strike three out of the zone.
In the bottom of the inning Kinlea Eastep and Matti Phillips each walked on four straight pitches and stolen bases put two runners in scoring position for Brooks. The sophomore pitcher helped her own cause by dropping a single into the right-center gap that pushed across the first two runs of the evening.
Brooks made it to second on the play and her courtesy runner, Jourdanne Marr took third on a passed ball. Josie Graham then sent a groundball to the shortstop. The Lady Cherokees tried to make the play at the plate, but they were not quick enough to catch Marr and the lead moved to 3-0.
“It was awesome to get out in front early, and I think it helps our pitcher out to know she has a lead,” Weems said. “I think it helps everyone out to know you have a little cushion. We never got the big cushion that we would have liked, but I’m still really proud of the girls.”
Greenback threatened again in the top of the fourth when Marlee Ownsby sent a double to left field. She went to third when Kendi Brooks dropped a fly ball into the right-center gap. The Lady Huskies were able to end the threat with a soft groundball back to the circle.
North Greene added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth frame. Charlie Turnmire walked and then Kennedy Malone burned centerfielder Addison Brown for a double that put two in scoring position.
The Lady Huskies tried to use small ball to push across a run, but Greenback fielded Chloe Keys’ bunt and sent it back to the dish to catch courtesy runner Teaganne Vakkur.
Eastep was able to get Malone home and push the lead to 4-0 when she sent a fly ball deep into centerfield that was dropped by the defender.
Greenback thought it found life in the sixth inning when Emma Anderson led off the side with a double to left field. Davis put down a soft ball in front of the plate that was thrown away at first and then again at third. She made it all the way to third on the play and Anderson made it home.
Once the dust settled on the chaotic play it was determined Davis had been called out for interference after running inside the baseline and blocking the throw from the plate to first. Since interference forced a dead ball Anderson’s run was waived off and she was sent back to second base.
After a throw away at first base Anderson tried to go from second to home, but the Lady Huskies recovered and Turnmire was able to tag her out before reaching the plate. Brooks then ended the inning with a strikeout that preserved the shutout.
Brooks threw all seven innings on Friday with five strikeouts, two walks and five hits allowed.
The Lady Huskies earned only four hits in the win. Malone had a double, and Brooks had two RBIs. Turnmire and Graham also had singles.
