Girls’ Softball
Greene 2, Tioga 1
GREENE – Greene celebrated victory in the seventh inning not once, but twice. The first celebration came prematurely, and could have come back to burn the Trojans. The second celebration was indeed timely as Greene avenged a 2009 Section IV Class C finals loss to Tioga, Tuesday at Lions Club Field.
Natalie Greene, who drew a one-out walk, scored from second base on sophomore Caitlin Willis’ single to right-center field giving Greene (18-3) a hard-fought victory over the Tigers.
“We’ve been going with the method that any team we didn’t show up against last year, such as Afton and Tioga, we were going to show up this year against them and play a hard game,” said Greene coach Rick Smith. “We wanted to show up as we did against Afton (at the MAC championship game), and it feels good to play this type of game, and obviously come out on top.”
Through the first six innings, a single run for Greene in the opening inning was the lone tally on the board. Tioga, as good a five seed as any, threatened in the sixth advancing runners to second and third. Greene pitcher Rebecca Hanrahan was able to notch a strikeout to end the threat.
An unlikely series of plays led to Tioga’s tying run in the top of the seventh. The Tigers began their final at-bat with clean-up hitter Hailey Hoffman walking and Kari Walkley singling to right field. Aubrey Worthing bounced back to Hanrahan, who threw to third baseman Louise Holcomb to force out Hoffman. A passed ball allowed Walkley and Worthing to move up a base into scoring position.
With Sarah Wayson batting for Tioga, Hanrahan threw a ball low to catcher Brittany Youngs. Youngs tossed the ball back to Hanrahan, who turned her back to the plate and walked back toward the mound. At that moment, Walkley took off for an attempted steal of home. Hanrahan saw Walkley, pivoted, and fired back to Youngs who blocked the plate to tag out Walkley.
Worthing moved to third on the attempted steal of home bringing number eight hitter Cheyenne Skinner to the plate. Skinner worked a two-two count and struck out on a low pitch that hit the dirt before popping into Youngs’ glove. Thinking the game was over, Greene’s on-field players ran toward the middle of the infield to congratulate Hanrahan; however, Skinner ran down the line to first base. A dropped third strike or third-strike pitch that hits the ground first requires a throw to first base to record the out. Youngs realized that fact, and threw to an unmanned first base. Alertly, Worthing came in to score the tying run as Greene rightfielder, Willis, retrieved the ball.
