GREENVILLE – After more than a week off because of the weather, the Greenville softball team returned to the diamond on Tuesday and beat Vandalia-Butler 8-2 in a Greater Western Ohio Conference game.
“Just fun getting out back playing,” Greenville softball coach Jerrod Newland said. “After a week of not playing softball and everybody getting a little edgy and itchy, fun stuff. Good day at the park. We came alive there a little bit towards the end.”
Greenville out-hit Butler nine to three in Tuesday’s GWOC North game. The Lady Wave did commit three errors while the Aviators made two.
Greenville wasn’t little time in taking the lead as the Wave scored a run in the bottom of the first.
Karsyn Shaffer was hit by a Farrah Cole pitch to lead things off for Greenville. After Alli Hill was walked to put two base runners on, Makayla Hanes moved Shaffer over to third as she hit into a fielder’s choice.
As Butler tried to turn the double play, the throw from second to first sailed high, allowing Shaffer to score and put Greenville up 1-0.
Greenville added to its lead with two more runs in the third inning.
Hanes got the inning going with a one-out single and moved all the way to third on a pair of wild pitches. She then scored on a Cassie Cromwell double to make it 2-0.
After Cromwell took third on a wild pitch, Jazzlyn Petry drove her in with a sacrifice fly to center to increase the Greenville advantage to 3-0.
In the fifth Greenville added another run.
Shaffer led off the inning with a single. After she stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice grounder by Hill, Shaffer scored on a single by Cromwell to make it 4-0.
Greenville’s biggest inning of the night came in the sixth when the Lady Wave plated four runs.
Sydney Grote led off the inning with a double and scored on an Ashton Kester single. After moving to second on a passed ball, Kester scored on an Allison Minnich single to make it 6-0.
A Butler throwing error on a Logan Tabler bunt then put two runners in scoring position for Greenville. Tester McClure, running for Minnich, scored on a wild pitch and Tabler scored on a sacrifice grounder by Shaffer to make it 8-0.
After being held to just one hit in the first six innings, Butler got its offense going in the seventh.
With Grote replacing Minnich on the mound, Butler quickly loaded the bases with Morgan Wright reaching on an error, Sophie Dent singling to center and Katy Moses walking.
After Theresa Burton doubled to drive in a pair of runs and make it 8-2, Greenville brought Minnich back into the pitcher’s circle.
The senior got back-to-back- strikeouts and a line-out to strand two runners and end the game with an 8-2 Greenville win.
Minnich pitched seven innings on Tuesday, allowing no runs on one hit, one walk and seven strikeouts. Grote faced four batters, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk.
For Butler Cole pitched the complete game and allowed seven earned runs and one unearned run on nine hits, three walks and three strikeouts.
Cromwell led the Greenville offense by going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored. Hanes was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Shaffer went 1-for-3, was hit by a pitch, stole a base, drove in a run and scored two runs.
Kester went 1-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored. Grote was 1-for-2 with a double, a walk and a run scored. Minnich was 1-for-2 with a walk and a RBI. McClure and Tabler both scored a run while Petry drove in a run.
For Butler Burton went 1-for-3 with a double and a RBI. Wright was 1-for-3 a double and a run scored. Dent was 1-for-3, and Julia Helke scored a run.
Greenville improved to 7-1 overall and 2-0 in the GWOC North with Tuesday’s win while Butler fell to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the GWOC North.
Greenville will return to action on Wednesday at Troy. Greenville and Butler will have a rematch on Thursday in Vandalia.
