After battling mostly higher classification schools in non-conference play, the Greenwood Lady Bulldogs softball team finally opened 5A West league play last Thursday (March 15) at Siloam Springs, taking both ends of the doubleheader from the Lady Panthers. Greenwood built an early lead in game one, scoring three runs in the first inning en route to a 6-2 win.
Greenwood was paced offensively by junior Allie Barnes, fresh off the hard court after helping the GHS girls win a state basketball title. Barnes reached base three times, including singles in the first and sixth innings. Kari Frick was a workhorse in the pitching circle for Greenwood, allowing just two earned runs, six hits, and no walks, despite fanning just one hitter.
Besides Barnes, Audra Schluterman, Brooke Kiene, and Abbey Lejong each got hits for Greenwood. Like Barnes, Lejong also had two hits besides reaching base on an error and knocking in a run. Despite the loss, Siloam Springs’ pitcher Haley Hunt played well. She homered in the first inning and doubled in the third, while baffling Greenwood at the plate, striking out six GHS batters. Hunt allowed no earned runs, but five walks, seven hits, and several Siloam Springs errors accounted for all of Greenwood’s scoring. A run in the bottom of the third helped Siloam Springs close its deficit to 3-2, but GHS pitcher Kari Frick ended the threat. The Lady Bulldogs increased their lead with two more runs in the fourth.
In the second game, Greenwood pulled out a 9-5 win in a slugfest. Siloam Springs out-hit Greenwood 11-8, but the Lady Panthers stranded 12 runners on base. Allie Barnes again had a good game at the plate for Greenwood, going 3-for-5, driving in a run, and scoring twice. In an scoring oddity, Barnes singled in consecutive innings, the third, fourth, and fifth.
Siloam Springs was again paced by Haley Hunt, who reached base five times. The bottom of the first inning featured Siloam Springs taking an early lead, 1-0, on a long blast by Hunt. But Greenwood never relinquished the lead after scoring two runs in the third inning. The Lady ‘Dogs tacked on another six runs in the fourth. A bases loaded walk scored Abbey Lejong for the inning's first run. That was followed by Barnes' single, scoring Mariko McCraney. Four runs in the bottom of the seventh helped Siloam Springs to close the final deficit to 9-5.
The Lady Bulldogs were also slated to play Friday and Saturday in the Farmington/Fayetteville tournament, March 16-17, before taking a few days off for spring break. Once school resumes, Greenwood will host the Fort Smith Northsid Lady Grizzlies on Monday, March 26th. They will host Morrilton on Tuesday the 27th in a conference doubleheader.