Menu
Big at bats give Greencastle the big win
Greencastle's softball benefited from every aspect of its game Friday when Crawfordsville came for a visit.
The Tiger Cubs scored early and often and walked away with the win 11-0. Greencastle has a few players out with injury and GHS coach Dave Keller is glad his team pulled through the adversity with a win.
"I was really proud of them," Keller said. "They did what they are supposed to do. That's a game that you don't want to look sloppy. You want to look sharp. We did."
The Tiger Cubs played a clean game with many players getting on base or else helping others to get home. The defense committed only one error on the night, which was a point of emphasis for the coach considering the weekend competition for the Tiger Cubs.
"Tomorrow (Saturday) is going to be a different story," Keller said. "We're playing an undefeated team in Edgewood. We're a little banged up right now. So I told to go and let it all hang out and see what we've got."
GHS was without senior shortstop Courtney Adams as well as the junior slugger Rachel Dozier. Even with those players Greencastle managed many big hits against the Athenians.
The game began with junior Kenlee Johnson getting on base and then stealing her way to third, before sophomore Gracie Foster scored her with a sacrifice fly.
Stealing bases became a theme for the Tiger Cubs as sophomores Julia Mundy, Grace Paul and junior Paige Bragg all benefited from steals on their way home, making the score 4-0.
In the second inning both Johnson and Foster stole three bases and Paul stole two more as the Tiger Cubs were alert and taking advantage of every opportunity.
"It's good to get this win, Bragg said. "Our coaches have mentioned that we have to win games we are supposed to win and try even harder to win games you aren't expected to win. This is a team we've beaten a couple of years in row so it was good to do it again. We all played well all around tonight."
In the third inning before GHS scored two more runs thanks to Mundy and freshman Brynne Shuee's triple, Crawfordsville could get nothing going.
This was due in large part the pitching of sophomore Skyler Hensley. She tallied six strikeouts in five innings only allowing two hits and walking one.
"Mainly I was able to throw my fastball," Hensley said. "Toward the end I just really wanted to focus on getting the out but allowing my defense to make the plays. We've come off of some games with defensive errors and before we go to Edgewood (Saturday) night we just wanted to have a game with no errors; get back to who we are."
Hensley, however, pitched her shutout while feeling a bit under the weather. She elected to stay in the game in order to complete the feat.
"I was throwing up all night," Hensley said. "I came into school about halfway through the day. I was feeling weak. But like I said my fastball at 75 percent was able to just push through. I didn't want to quit. I wanted to pitch the full time."
Greencastle scored its final two runs to enact the mercy rule when Paul singled and then stole second and she was knocked in by Bragg's double. Bragg then stole third and home plate.
The Tiger Cubs went 9-9 on stolen bases.
"At this point in the season we are glad to be consistently on the field every day," Bragg said. "The weather hasn't kept us off that much. We've been getting a lot of batting in outside so that's good."
After the Tiger Cubs face Edgewood Saturday Greencastle will play back-to-back games against WCC rival Cascade on Monday and Tuesday.
At Greencastle
Crawfdsville 000 00x x -- 0 2 5
Greencastle 432 2xx x --11 10 1
3B: Bragg, Shuee
2B: Bragg
RBI: Mundy, Bragg, Foster, Shuee, Paul
WP: Hensley