New GHS head coach Ronnie Sockey and his Lady Bulldogs’ softball team opened their 2013 campaign last Friday, March 1st, with an 11-9 loss at Waldron. They followed that with another narrow loss, 2-1 at Van Buren on Monday, March 4th.
Sockey was hired last year after several very successful seasons as the head coach at Poteau, Oklahoma. The Greenwood girls struggled to post a sub .500 record last season without a full-time head coach. Michael Lejong, one of two volunteers who helped manage the team in 2012, returns this season to assist Sockey.
The game started with an offensive bang, with both teams scoring four runs in the first inning. The Lady Bulldogs added three more tallies in the top of the second frame for a 7-4 lead, and led 8-5 after three innings. But Waldron rallied by plating three runners in the bottom of the fourth, two more in the fifth, and a single runner in the home half of the sixth inning.
Greenwood managed just one more run in the top of the fifth, despite outhitting the home team 11 to 8. But the defense was atrocious for both teams, but especially for the Lady Bulldogs, who made a total of seven errors in the early season contest. Waldron also made three miscues.
For Greenwood, Kelsey Knox started the game at pitcher and went four innings, throwing 56 strikes in 92 pitches. She was relieved by Victoria Taylor, who hurled the final two frames and took the loss, though most of Waldron’s runs were unearned because of Greenwood’s defensive lapses. Taylor found the plate with 25 of her 48 total offerings.
Offensively, the Lady Bulldogs were paced by Abbey Lejong, Kameron Brewer, and Madison Jewell, all with extra base hits. Lejong had a double, Brewer a triple and two runs batted in, while Jewell whacked a line drive homerun over the centerfield fence and had three RBIs in the game. Jade Pate and Mikayleigh Davis also drove home runs for the Lady Bulldogs.
Last Monday, freshman pitcher Victoria Taylor was outstanding for Greenwood, giving up just two runs at Van Buren, one in the first inning and the game winner in the bottom of the seventh. The Lady Bulldogs actually out-hit the home team six to four, and scored their lone run in the fourth inning on an RBI double by sophomore Madison Jewell.
The GHS girls are slated to travel to Farmington this coming Friday as they continue their non-conference schedule. Conference play begins next Tuesday, March 12th, at home against the Russellville Lady Cyclones. Game time is set for 4:30 p.m.