Greencastle struggles at Edgewood Thursday

ELLETTSVILLE -- The Greencastle Tiger Cub softball team had to battle a tough Edgewood Mustang team and the nasty weather. The only thing hot on the night was the Mustang bats as they plated 16 runs in a 16-6 five-inning victory.

Kenlee Johnson, resident big hitter for Greencastle, stands at the plate in a game earlier this season. (Banner Graphic/JAY LOCKETT)

The Tiger Cubs without starting pitcher Skyler Hensley (sidelined by illness) struggled to contain the Edgewood offense. Edgewood knocked three home runs on the evening, two by sophomore Taylor Acuff.

The Tiger Cubs had their bats going early on trying to keep pace with Edgewood. Greencastle scored three runs in the first inning. The Cubs opened with three straight singles by Julia Mundy, Brynne Shuee, and Kenlee Johnson. Ivy Wright added a single and Gracie Foster reached on an error.

"A lot of the girls in the first inning got the bat on the ball and got it out of the infield. That is what we have been working on since the loss to North Putnam," Briones said.

The Mustangs pushed across four runs in the bottom half of the first inning on an error, a hit batsmen, and one of their three home runs.

"We made some errors tonight that are not typical for us. They are a powerful offensive team and they hit the ball well," Greencastle first-year head coach Tabatha Briones said

Hayley Evans plated a run in the second inning to tie the game, but Edgewood added another four runs in the bottom half of the inning and another four in the bottom of the third to take a commanding 12-4 lead.

"It hurt us tonight without our starting pitcher out with the flu. I think Julia (Mundy) did a great job. She was in a tough position. She has been working at first base. That caused us to move a lot of people around, including using a freshman in right field for the first time," Briones said.

Edgewood extended its lead to 15-4 through four innings as the Tiger Cubs struggled to contain the Mustang bats.

The Tiger Cubs tried to battle back late in the game as Gracie Foster knocked a two-run single for Greencastle to extend the game to the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Mustangs used another big blow, a double off the fence to extend the lead to 10 runs and end the ball game.

Freshman Wright went 2-2 and reached on error and scored two runs to lead the Tiger Cubs from the plate, while Foster added two RBI's to the stat sheet.

"They are a good program. We know we have to work on some things to improve," Briones said.

At Edgewood

Greencastle 310 02 -- 6

Edgewood 444 31 -- 16