GREENVILLE – Greenville celebrated its senior night on Monday by run ruling Sidney 10-0 in five innings of Greater Western Ohio Conference softball.
The Lady Wave honored their four seniors prior to Monday’s game: Lauren Baughn, Makayla Hanes, Alli Hill and Karsyn Shaffer. The evening ended with Greenville celebrating its 20th victory of the season – a feat the Wave have achieved in each of the past 15 years.
“I love playing Sidney,” Greenville coach Jerrod Newland said. “They’re a competitive team, second place in the league. They’ve got the D-1 pitcher on the mound. Every year I enjoy playing her the mound because she brings it pretty good. Second, third time through we’ve adjusted, and I like hitting good pitching because good things happen. We put the ball in play, played a little shortened game, ran the bases today and great things happened.”
Greenville couldn’t get much going against Sidney’s Grace Shell the first time through the order, but in the third inning the Wave started to time up the Yellow Jacket pitcher.
The bottom of the third started with Shaffer doubling. Cassie Cromwell then drove a RBI double into center, and Hanes drove a RBI single into center to put the Lady Wave up 2-0.
Greenville’s offense really took off in the fourth inning when the Wave sent 10 batters to the plate.
Courtney Bryson led off with a walk and went all the way to third on a bunt by Morgan Gilbert. She scored when Shaffer reached base on an error, making it 3-0.
Cromwell was hit by a pitch and Hanes walked to load the bases. Hill then drove in two runs with a single into center, and Baylee Petry drove in two more with a double into center, increasing the Greenville advantage to 7-0. The final run of the inning came off a double by Grote that put the Wave up 8-0.
Greenville ended the game in the bottom of the fifth. Gilbert led off with a single and Shaffer doubled to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Cromwell drove both of them in with a single, making it 10-0 and causing the game to end in a run rule.
Greenville finished the night with 12 hits and two errors while Sidney had three hits and two errors.
Monday was the final regular season home game for Greenville’s seniors, all of whom are committed to play softball in college.
“If you make it through the program for four years we’ll get you an opportunity to play at the next level,” Newland said. “It’s just nice for the parents to get reduced school and credits and everything for college. Just proud of all four. I told them earlier before the game, I said if my kids would be half as good as those four kids I feel I would do a great job because those four kids just cross the line and do a great job and put team first.”
