Greenville softball team wins home opener against Milford

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GREENVILLE – The Greenville softball team won its home opener on Friday, defeating Milford 5-2 in the first game of a doubleheader.

After having four games rained out in the week leading up to Friday’s games, Greenville coach Jerrod Newland was just happy to get on the field Friday evening and compete against Milford, a program that reached the district finals of the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I tournament last year.

“It’s just nice to play after a week of craziness,” he said.

To earn its first victory of the season, Greenville had to battle back from some early adversity.

The first batter of the game, Milford’s Sydnee Harris, reached base on an error when two Greenville fielders ran into each other on a pop up in the infield. After advancing to second on a bunt and stealing third, Harris scored on a single by Katelyn Reynolds to put the Eagles up 1-0.

A walk and Greenville’s second error of the inning loaded the bases, but the Lady Wave got out of the jam with a popup to third and a grounder to shortstop.

“We’re just new faces, new places and working it and seeing where we’re at,” Newland said of the early miscues.

While Greenville had some early issues on defense, the Wave also had some strong plays in the field. With one out and two runners on in the bottom of the third, Nyesha Wright caught a fly ball in center field then gunned down a Milford runner at the plate.

It was the second inning-ending double play of the day for the Lady Wave, who also caught an Eagle base runner in a rundown in the second inning.

“Nyesha doubled them off there on the catch-tag ’em out, and we had the rundown play here,” Newland said. “There were three or four neat softball plays both ways back and forth quickly.”

Along with some nice plays in the field, Greenville also had some strong hitting in the game. The Wave had runners on base in all six innings they batted.

“It was nice to string a few together there, especially in the first couple (innings),” Newland said. “Two or three in a row and solid hits, too.”

Greenville’s best inning at the plate came in the bottom of the first.

Morgan Gilbert led off with a single and Cassie Cromwell drew a walk to put the first two Greenville batters on base. After a strikeout, Baylee Petry drew a walk to load the bases.

Zoe Pressnall knotted the score at 1-1 with a grounder that brought in Gilbert. Greenville then took a 3-1 lead with a two-run double by Lani Shilt.

Greenville added to its lead with another run in the second. Haleigh Mayo reached on an error then Courtney Bryson got an infield single to put two on with no outs. Mayo advanced on a grounder by Gilbert and scored on a grounder by Sydney Grote to make it a 4-1 game.

Greenville’s final run of the game came in the fifth inning. Wright reached base on a two-out error then scored on a single by Mayo to make it 5-1.

Milford scored the final run of the game in the seventh inning. Harris singled, advanced to second on a grounder, stole third and scored on a double by Reynolds to make it 5-2.

Following a hit by Sam Boothby, the Eagles had the potential tying run at the plate, but Petry got a fly into center to end the threat and give Greenville a 5-2 victory.

Greenville finished the first game of the doubleheader with eight hits and two errors. The Wave stranded eight runners.

Milford had seven hits and three errors. The Eagles stranded nine runners.

Milford took the second game of Friday’s doubleheader 5-1. Grote drove in Greenville’s lone run of the game in the bottom of the first then Milford scored five unanswered runs.

Greenville is now 1-2 on the season. The Wave will play host to Versailles and Miamisburg beginning at noon Saturday.

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Greenville’s Nyesha Wright hits a pitch during a softball game against Milford on Friday in Greenville.
https://www.dailyadvocate.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/web1_Nyesha-Wright-WEB.jpgGreenville’s Nyesha Wright hits a pitch during a softball game against Milford on Friday in Greenville. Kyle Shaner | The Daily Advocate

By Kyle Shaner

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Kyle Shaner may be reached at 937-569-4316. Follow me on Twitter @KShanerAdvocate or get updates on Facebook by searching Darke County Sports or Advocate 360. For more features online go to dailyadvocate.com.

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