Greenville’s Grace Shaffer allowed two first inning singles … and no hits after that.
From Press Pro Magazine
By Greg Billing
Clutch hitting and championship-caliber defense on Thursday sent the Greenville Green Wave softball team into Saturday’s D-II regional final. That’s before the Green Wave battled back from a couple controversial calls against Springfield Shawnee Braves in a thriller at Mason High School.
Mason, OH – Bri Fellers said she’s had a bigger hit. She’s proud of that over-the-fence homer she smacked during summer ball. But she’s never had a hit in a bigger moment than Thursday.
The Greenville High School junior’s sixth-inning drive to center didn’t clear the outfield fence. What it did clear was the bases. And the centerfielder’s glove by inches.
Fellers’ two-out double to deep center scored Alaina Baughn and Skylar Fletcher, pushing Greenville past Springfield Shawnee 2-0 in a Division II regional semifinal at Mason High School on Thursday.
The victory put Greenville (32-1) in the D-II regional title game noon Saturday at Mason. Greenville (31-1) plays Hebron Lakewood Lancers (24-7) for a trip to the D-II state semifinals. Lakewood beat New Richmond 14-2 on Thursday to advance.
“If you told me we’d be at Mason on a Saturday for a regional final, I’d probably wanted to know what you were drinking for breakfast and probably join you for two of them,” Greenville coach Jerrod Newland said, grinning. “With No. 9 (senior pitcher Grace Shaffer) and No. 10 (senior centerfielder Nyesha Wright) out there, it’s as a good as it gets with those two kids. I love them. We’re just grinding.”
Newland was grinding his teeth early in a tense, and at times testy, relationship with the three-person umpiring crew.
Three times in the first two innings Shaffer was called for an illegal pitch. The home plate umpire ruled Shaffer was stepping too far to the side and out of the pitching lane, which ends at the edge of the rubber. Two of those pitches would have resulted in outs, though the Braves failed to take advantage of the extra pitches.
Newland had a spirited and lively discussion with the home plate umpire for several minutes before returning to the third base coach’s box.
In the fifth, freshman Savannah Leach led off with a single. Sophomore Ashlynn Zimmer sacrificed Leach to second. Junior Keira Beavins sent a single to left. Newland waved Leach home. Left fielder Ella McCloskey threw a strike to catcher Alise Moneypenny, who blocked the plate with her leg and tagged out Leach. Newland argued for obstruction on Shawnee’s third baseman, but failed to get the call reversed.
“It’s a long game… It just didn’t hop our way for a while,” said Newland, a 1997 Shawnee High School graduate. “Good teams find ways. We found a way and outhit them. (Shawnee’s) a good team. They’ve got four or five studs. Just a neat school. Just a good game here today.”
Shawnee (21-5) entered the game hitting .346 as a team, good for third best in the Central Buckeye Conference. Shaffer held the Braves to two hits on 67 pitches. Of those pitches, 47 were strikes.
Shaffer has 160 strikeouts in 126 innings pitched, but isn’t overwhelming. Newland compares her style to a Greg Maddux … smart, hits her spots and has great movement with her pitches…
Photo: Bri Fellers goes low for a two-run double in Greenville’s 2-0 victory over Springfield Shawnee. Press Pros Photo By Julie McMaken Wright
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