The Greenwood Lady Bulldogs softball team is off to another quick start under Head Coach Ronnie Sockey. As usual, the beginning of the season was delayed a bit because several of Sockey’s best players are also basketball athletes, including his own daughter.
The 5A state basketball tournament ended last week with Little Rock Christian winning the state title. The Lady Warriors and Lady Bulldogs are both members of the 5A West conference, and LR Christian defeated Greenwood all three times they met this winter, including in the state semi-finals.
But the GHS girls got a small measure of revenge this past Monday with a doubleheader win over the Lady Warriors on the softball field. The twin victories improved the Lady Bulldogs’ record to 4-0.
LR Christian
Monday’s double dip was not even close. Both games ended early with Greenwood racing out to big leads, invoking the mercy rule. The home team won game one, 20-0, and game two, 15-0.
In the opener the Lady Bulldogs scored 20 runs on just eight hits, aided by seven errors from the visiting defense. A five-run first inning was followed by a 15-run second. The game was called after 2½ frames.
Haven Clements started in the circle for Greenwood and pitched three scoreless innings to earn the win. She gave up just one hit and struck out six of the 10 hitters she faced.
Offensively, leadoff hitter Angela Price hammered a two-run homer, reached base twice by errors, and scored three times. Paxtyn Hayes reached base all three times via walks and also scored three runs, as did Miriah Hamilton, who walked twice and reached on a hit.
Cleanup hitter Ally Sockey had a pair of hits, a sacrifice fly, and four runs driven in. Rheding Wagoner added a pair of walks and two runs scored, while Harley Terry added a single, a walk, and reached on an error, scoring twice. Haven Clements reached base twice without a hit and scored two runs.
In game two, the Lady Bulldogs scored eight times in the first inning and seven times in the second, while starting pitcher Rheding Wagoner hurled three scoreless frames, recording six strikeouts.
At the plate, Angela Price had two of Greenwood’s three total hits. Mariah Hamilton had the other hit. Little Rock Christian made four errors and the visiting pitcher gave up seven walks and hit two GHS batters.
Price had three RBIs and Hamilton had two. Emma McCorkle, Natalie Thomas, Price, Sockey, Eden Hutchins, and Wagoner all scored twice in the game.
FS Southside
Last Thursday the GHS girls hosted the Lady Mavericks and won 13-2 in a 4½-inning contest. Rheding Wagoner earned the win with five strong frames, giving up just two runs and three hits. The GHS defense made just one error.
Angela Price had three hits and four RBIs to pace the offense. She had a homerun in the first inning, a double in the second, and a triple in the third. Paxtyn Hayes also homered in the first and Harley Terry drove home a run with a double.
Leading 3-1 after one frame, Greenwood added two runs in the second, seven in the third, and one final tally in the bottom of the fourth. Southside added its second run in the third inning.
Hayes added a second homerun in the game in her final at bat and tallied three RBIs. Mariah Hamilton also homered and added a pair of singles.
Fayetteville
Last Wednesday the Lady Bulldogs opened their season with a resounding 9-1 victory over the Lady Purple Dogs. Haven Clements went six strong innings for the win, relieved by Wagoner.
Clements scattered seven hits and walked two, getting a lot of support from her defense, which played errorless ball. Fayetteville scored its only run in the top of the fourth inning. Clements fanned six hitters. Rheding gave up a pair of hits in the seventh but did not allow a run.
Fayetteville pitching held Greenwood in check for much of the game, but gave up six runs in the sixth, breaking the game open. The Lady Bulldogs led 1-0 after one inning, 2-0 after three, and 3-0 after five frames.
Angela Price led the GHS offense with three hits, all three doubles, driving home a run and scoring three times. Mariah Hamilton had two hits, including a double, and drove home a pair of runs.
Both teams totaled nine hits, but Fayetteville made three defensive errors, all in the sixth inning, leading to Greenwood’s offensive outburst. The Lady Bulldogs had four hits in the inning, including three doubles.
Upcoming
Coach Sockey and his team have several games remaining this week, including Thursday’s home contest against Paris and Friday against Bentonville-West in the opening round of the Farmington tournament, to be completed on Saturday.
Thursday’s game is slated for a 5 p.m. start. After the Farmington tournament, school will be out for spring break. On March 26th Greenwood will resume conference play at Russellville with a doubleheader.