The Eastern Cloverbelt Conference title ….

The Eastern Cloverbelt Conference title was there to be had for the Greenwood/ Loyal softball team last week. All it had to do to grab it was repeat earlier season wins over Neillsville and Gilman.

That was not to be, as G-L dropped a 14-7 decision against Neillsville on June 2 and then fell to Gilman 5-2 at home on June 4. By virtue of Gilman’s two season losses to Neillville and an 8-7 setback against G-L in May, Greenwood/Loyal still secured a runner-up finish as the teams now prepare for WIAA post-season play.

Things went awry quickly against Neillsville, despite a 2-run first inning for G-L. Neillsville answered with eight runs in the bottom of the inning, however, leaving the team with a major catch-up job against Neillsville starter Delaney Rochester. With the Warriors adding two more runs in the second inning and single scores in the third and fourth, that became even more unlikely. G-L did rally for four runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 12-7, but couldn’t finish the job.

Katelyn Linnder threw the complete game for G-L and allowed 14 runs (13 earned) on 20 hits, one walk and one strikeout. Lead-off hitter Bella Opelt went 5-5 with a home run and three RBIs and three other Warrior hitters had three knocks apiece.

Kayla Bremmer went 4-4 for GL with a homer and two RBIs while Aspen Hagen, Zaida Brock and Mesa Rasmussen had two hits apiece.

Rochester gave up 13 hits and two walks and struck out two.

Against Gilman in Greenwood on June 4, the Pirates jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings and G-L could not generate much offense against Addy Warner. The G-L hitters managed only six hits and two walks for the game, while striking out 14 times. Brock and Emma Schlough each had two hits.

Lindner again went the distance, allowing five runs (two earned) on seven hits, three walks and four strikeouts.

Greenwood did bounce back from the two league losses to hang on for a 14-11 win on Monday at Marshfi eld Columbus to secure sole possession of second place in the ECC. G-L led 5-1 after four innings, but some shaky defense led to 10 Columbus runs in the last three innings.

Three Don runs in the bottom of the fifth inning brought Columbus to within 6-4, but G-L put up a 5-run sixth to retake control. The Dons answered with three of their own in the sixth to make it an 11-7 game.

Three more G-L runs in the seventh turned out to be necessary as Columbus added four more in the bottom of the final frame before Lindner was finally able to close it out.

She threw all seven innings, allowing six earned runs on 14 hits, three walks and six strikeouts.

Greenwood-Loyal managed 11 hits and drew three walks while taking six strike-outs.

Bremmer continued to ravage ECC pitching with a 3-5 game with four RBIs. Schlough and Mckenna Schley had two hits apiece while Schley and Rasmussen each drove in a pair of runs.

Columbus committed nine errors in the game while G-L had six.