The South Greene softball team flipped the script on Tuesday afternoon, and two days after falling 12-5 to West Greene the Lady Rebels put up a football score in a 21-7 win over the Lady Buffaloes.
“We hit the ball well with runners in scoring position, and the top of the order was really productive today. We made some mistakes in the field, but we made up for it with our hitting,” South Greene coach Amy Hawk said. “I didn’t know what to expect after playing them on Sunday, but I believed that the girls would respond. We didn’t have a good tournament over the weekend, but this was a conference game, and it was more important. The girls came out ready to play.”
South Greene is now 7-0 in District 1-2A play while West Greene is 3-4.
The Lady Rebels swatted the ball all over a wind-swept diamond at West Greene and earned 13 hits on Tuesday while putting 26 runners on base. The top of South Greene’s lineup was especially potent, reaching base on 17 of 20 plate appearances.
Leadoff hitter Madison Hensley was 2-for-3 with a triple, two walks and four runs scored. Number two hitter Whitney Reaves was 1-for-3 with a double and five runs scored. Number three hitter Kortnei Bailey went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and five runs scored. Number four hitter Paisley Brobeck was 2-for-3 with a triple, four RBIs and two runs scored.
“The top of the lineup was phenomenal today. It felt like they were scoring every time they went up to bat. That was great to see,” Hawk said.
South Greene started the day with five runs in the top of the first inning. Hensley was walked and scored on a passed ball. Reaves, who was hit by a pitch, forced a run down when Kortnei Bailey was walked. Reaves went on to score on the play and Bailey went to third. Brobeck floated an RBI triple deep into the left-center gap and scored on a passed ball.
Saddie Knowles scored Reagan Arrowood on ground out before the Lady Buffs could get out of the inning.
West Greene found two runs in the bottom of the first frame. Morgan Brown led off by reaching on a dropped third strike. Two infield errors allowed her to move all the way around. Hayley Arnold then scored on a groundout.
South Greene scored four more runs in the second inning. Bailey drove in two runs with a single through the left side. She went on to score on a passed ball. Brobeck scored on a groundout by Arrowood.
The lead grew to 12-2 in the third inning. Reaves split the left-center gap with a run-scoring double. Brobeck then dropped a two-run single into left field.
West Greene found four runs in the fourth frame. Addison Peters, Hayley Arnold and Aubree Everett all had triples in the frame and Brown added a double.
Two errors and a sacrifice fly by Brobeck allowed South Greene to stretch the lead to 14-6 in the fifth inning.
West Greene’s Miranda Hunter skipped a groundball through the right side to get one run back for the Lady Buffs in the bottom of the inning.
In the sixth inning the Lady Rebels put the game away with a seven-run frame. Hailey Williamson, Bailey, Arrowood, Knowles and Neveah Davis all had singles while two errors allowed all seven runs to cross unearned.
Bailey earned the win in the circle. In 4 2/3 innings she struck out two, walked two and allowed eight hits. Davis threw 1 1/3 innings with no strikeouts, one walk and no hits allowed.
“I like to mix up in the circle, and its nice to have athletes that you can put in different positions,” Hawk said. “Kortnei and Neveah each give them a different look. Kortnei throws it harder, and when they make contact its going to go. And West Greene has some really good hitters. Neveah came in and took them out of rhythm, and I’m really proud of her for stepping up.”
Abby Cluesman took the loss for West Greene. In 1 2/3 innings she struck out one, walked four and allowed three hits. Brown threw the final 4 1/3 innings with one strikeout, two walks and 10 hits allowed.
At the plate Brown was 2-for-4 with a double, triple and two runs scored. Peters was 2-for-3 with a triple.
