The Greenwood Lady Bulldogs softball team is off and running in 2024, having posted a 6-1 record thus far with time off this week for spring break. They will return to live action next Monday, March 25th, at Fort Smith Southside in a non-conference game before hosting 5A West conference foe Van Buren in a doubleheader on Tuesday. The team is led by Head Coach Donald Hart in his second season at the helm, assisted by Mike Possage and Dianne Popp.
Greenwood returns about half of last year’s starters but has plenty of developing talent to fill in the gaps in their offensive and defensive lineups. But the team’s bread-n-butter this season will be the return of senior pitchers Tori Howard and Haley McAdams, both a year older and more experienced. Most high school teams have only one accomplished hurler, and the Lady Bulldogs have two. The team put on quite a display in their pre-season scrimmage with Fort Smith Southside, winning in a laugher, 23-0. They banged out 20 hits and had a 13-run second inning to put the game away early. The trio of Howard, McAdams, and sophomore Alyssa Lovell combined for seven innings of 3-hit work, issuing just one walk.
Fayetteville
The season officially opened on Monday, February 26 at home against the Lady Purple Dogs of Fayetteville, a Class 6A non-conference foe, and it ended with a 12-2 run-rule GHS victory in four innings. Greenwood jumped all over Fayetteville pitching with a six-run first inning, adding another run in the second, two more in the third, and three more in the fourth to end the game prematurely. Tori Howard threw 50 pitches, going the distance, allowing two runs on three hits, but only one run was earned. She had only one strikeout and issued one walk. Greenwood made no errors in the game.
At the plate, three GHS players had two hits in the game, including Saylor Hart, Daisy Parker, and Tori Howard. Haley McAdams, Bri Taylor, and Rylee Floyd all had solo hits. Hart had a double and Howard had a pair of doubles while Hart had two RBIs and Howard one. Along with her two singles, Daisy Parker had two runs driven home. Brilea Rofkahr also had two RBIs without the benefit of a hit. Floyd, McAdams, and Emmy Burton all had solo RBIs.
Maumelle
Just over a week later Greenwood came down to earth a bit at Maumelle against the Lady Hornets, who employed three pitchers to shut down the GHS offense. The effective hometown trio limited the Lady Bulldogs to just four hits over seven innings in a 3-0 victory for the Hornets. McAdams and Howard combined for six innings of work for Greenwood with McAdams getting the start and going five frames. The GHS defense made two errors in the contest and only one of Maumelle’s runs was earned. McAdams took the hard-luck loss, allowing a first inning tally. The Lady Hornets scored twice more in the sixth against Howard.
In addition to her excellent work in the pitching circle, McAdams led Greenwood’s meager offensive effort with two hits, both singles. Tori Howard and Brilea Rofkahr had the other two hits for the Lady Bulldogs with Rofkahr stroking a double. Greenwood received only one walk and struck out five times.
Gentry
On Monday, March 11th the Lady Pioneers of Gentry came to Greenwood for a non-conference clash and found themselves trailing 3-0 after four frames. But a two-run fifth inning, one-run sixth, and two-run seventh gave the Gentry girls a 5-4 lead heading into Greenwood’s final at bat. Then a two-run walk-off double by Bri Taylor flipped the switch for a 6-5 GHS win. A single and two walks loaded the bases for the Lady Bulldogs before Taylor’s two-bagger ended the game.
Grooming Alyssa Lovell to backup Howard and McAdams in the circle this spring and take over next season as Greenwood’s top hurler, Coach Hart started the tenth grader and she went five innings, giving up just two runs on four hits. McAdams and Howard followed with an inning each, with McAdams giving up two runs and Howard closing out the Lady Pioneers in the top of the seventh inning.
Greenwood scored twice in the first inning, and once each in the second and fifth frames before walking off with two more tallies in the bottom of the seventh. The Lady Bulldogs had seven hits, but four of them came from one player. Sophomore Daisy Parker had two singles, a double, and a homerun with one RBI. Haley McAdams added two more hits, including a double and two runs batted in, while senior Bri Taylor’s lone hit came at the most opportune time, winning the game with two RBIs.
Russellville game #1
The next day the Lady Bulldogs travelled to Pope County to open 5A West league play against the Lady Cyclones of Russellville. Greenwood won both games, coming from behind late in game one for a 7-3 victory before winning the nightcap, 7-5. Tori Howard got the win in the opener with McAdams earning the victory in game two. Both GHS hurlers went seven innings. Howard needed 95 pitches to complete her work while McAdams required 103 pitches.
In the conference opener, Howard gave up six hits, no walks, and no earned runs. The Greenwood defense made four fielding errors in the game, allowing three unearned runs. Russellville scored once in the third inning and twice in the fifth. The Lady Bulldogs plated two runs in the top of the third and trailed 3-2 heading into the top of the seventh inning. But Greenwood exploded for five runs on eight hits to put the game away. Howard then set the Lady Cyclones down 1-2-3 to secure the win, striking out the last two hitters.
Greenwood stroked 16 hits in the game, half of them in their last at bat. Howard led the way with three hits, a single and two doubles with three runs batted in. Brilea Rofkahr, Bri Taylor, Saylor Hart, Emmy Burton, and Rylee Floyd all had two hits each. Taylor had two RBIs and freshman Emily Creason drove home one with a single. Haley McAdams and Daisy Parker also had singles.
Russellville game #2
In game two, the visitors led from wire to wire, scoring twice in their first at bat, twice more in the fourth inning, once in the fifth, and twice more in the top of the sixth. Russellville plated solo runs in the third, fourth, and sixth innings, and two more runs in the bottom of the seventh to make things interesting. Greenwood out-hit Russellville ten to six and both teams struggled defensively, combining for nine errors in the contest. Haley McAdams gave up just three earned runs in earning the pitching victory. She walked four hitters, struck out three, and left seven baserunners stranded.
With the sticks, the Lady Bulldogs got three hits each from McAdams and Saylor Hart, all singles, with Hart scoring two runs. Bri Taylor added two hits, both singles, and an RBI. Emmy Burton had a single and RBI while Rylee Floyd had a double and scored two runs. Brilea Rofkahr and Daisy Parker also had solo RBIs.
Gurdon
Last Friday, March 15th, the GHS ladies traveled to Hope, Arkansas for the annual D-mac tournament, winning both of their games before a third contest was cancelled on Saturday. Their first opponents were the Lady Go-Devils of Gurdon, Arkansas, who were shutout for four innings by GHS starting pitcher Tori Howard. Alyssa Lovell handled the fifth inning for Greenwood and allowed two hits and a run in the 6-1 Lady Bulldogs victory. Howard walked three batters but fanned seven.
At the dish, the GHS girls totaled eight hits, scoring solo runs in the first and second innings, and two runs each in the third and fourth frames. Daisy Parker and Rylee Floyd had two hits apiece with Parker belting a homerun and driving home two. Floyd also had an RBI. Emily Creason, Bri Taylor, Saylor Hart, and Lakyn Dawson all had one hit each with Creason and Taylor picking up single RBIs.
Prairiland
Last Saturday morning it was an early start (9 am) for the Lady Bulldogs against the Prairiland (TX) Lady Patriots, and both teams sleepwalked through the first five innings, mesmerized by good pitching by both starting hurlers. The game was scoreless until Greenwood broke through with a single tally in the top of the sixth inning for the 1-0 win. Haley McAdams handled the pitching chores for the Lady Bulldogs and did a magnificent job, holding the opposition to just one hit with seven strikeouts.
Greenwood managed to get six hits off Prairiland pitching, but half of them came in the decisive sixth inning. Singles by Bri Taylor and Emily Creason put runners at first and third base with no outs. Haley McAdams then laid down a sacrifice bunt to score the game winning run. Piper Pitts also bunted for a hit, but Greenwood left both runners stranded. Pitts led the team with two hits while Brilea Rofkahr, Emily Creason, Bri Taylor, and Tori Howard all had solo knocks.