Greenwood/Loyal slips past Gilman to stay atop ECC

The Greenwood-Loyal cooperative softball team’s persistent offensive attack lifted it to an 8-7 win at Gilman on May 17 to keep it in first place in the Eastern Cloverbelt Conference with the season nearly at its halfway point. Greenwood-Loyal collected 12 hits off Gilman starter Addy Warner and had a pair of 3-run innings to overcome a 5-3 deficit after three innings. The team’s #2-#5 hitters in the lineup piled up 10 hits and drove in seven runs as Greenwood-Loyal is one game shy of a first-half season sweep of its ECC opponents. It has yet to play Abby-Colby.

Greenwood-Loyal posted itself to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and held that lead until Gilman posted a 5-spot in the third. Defensive miscues were a problem as none of the Pirates’ seven runs in the game were earned.

Greenwood-Loyal got a run back in the fourth, then scored three times again in the fifth for a 7-5 lead. Gilman got one back in the fifth but Greenwood-Loyal matched that again in the top of the sixth before giving up one final run in the bottom of the frame.

Greenwood-Loyal senior Katlyn Lindner worked through the seventh to get the complete-game win. She gave up six hits and one walk while striking out six. The Greenwood-Loyal defense was spotty behind her, committing six errors.

But Gilman’s defense committed eight errors. While Warner did not give up a walk, Greenwood-Loyal tagged her for a dozen hits. Kayla Bremmer was 2-4 with a home run and three RBIs, Gracie North was 3-4 with an RBI, Zaida Brock had a 2-hit game with two driven in, and Lindner helped her own winning cause by going 3-4 with a double and three RBIs.

It was an all-or nothing kind of game for the G-L hitters as they struck out 18 times against Warner.

G-L 25 Owen-Withee 0

Greenwood-Loyal had a much easier time of it against Owen Withee on May 13, scoring 13 times in the first inning and 10 times in the third for the 3-inning win. The hitters drew only two walks from Blackhawk pitching, but pounded out 17 hits. Anna Lindner had a 4-4 game at the plate, driving in three runs and scoring three times. Bremmer had a monster night as she was 3-4 with two home runs, a triple, and eight RBIs. Brock also homered and drove in three runs while Aspen Hagen had two hits in the lead-off spot, drove in three, and scored three times.

Lindner gave up three hits in her three innings of work with no walks and three strikeouts.

G-L 15 Marshfield Columbus 9

Greenwood-Loyal needed a 12-run fourth inning on May 11 to avoid an upset at home at the hands of Marshfield Columbus. The Dons were pesky, scoring two runs in each of the first three innings and adding three more in the fourth for a 9-3 lead. That’s when Greenwood-Loyal found its offense and scored the last dozen runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth.

Lindner pitched 3 1/3 innings and allowed nine runs, but only two were earned as the defense made six mistakes. Emma Schlough relieved her in the fourth inning and shut the Dons down the rest of the way on three hits, two walks and a strikeout. Lindner allowed six hits, walked one and struck out two.

Bremmer’s bat again was the main noisemaker as she had three hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs. North was 2-4 with a double while Lindner reached base four times (double and three walks) and scored every time. Brock also walked three times, scored twice and drove in a pair, while Mckenna Schley drove in two runs from the #6 spot in the order.

Greenwood-Loyal had a non-conference game at Stanley-Boyd on Tuesday and will host Spencer (at Loyal) on May 21.