Rams fight hard, drop games to top opponents

By CHRISTIAN ROYSTON croyston@iowainformation.com

The Greene County softball team fought hard in a tough week of games, staying close with teams that had the momentum behind them.

The Rams started out with a matchup against West Marshall, a team that was knocking on the door of a top-10 ranking in Class 3A. The No. 2 in the Heart of Iowa Conference did not run away with the game this past Wednesday, despite playing it at their home field.

Greene County kept West Marshall to just three runs, getting out of tough innings time and time again. The Trojans scored a run in the first, fourth and fifth innings, to win 3-0.

The Rams got three hits throughout the game, with junior Daniele Madsen hitting a double. The Trojans had eight hits, with freshman Alaina Heard allowing just two earned runs.

The loss dropped Greene County to 4-13, while raising West Marshall to 17-4 as it has the chance to break top 10 in the next rankings.

The Rams had to stay on the road for another monster of a matchup this past Thursday, taking on Kuemper at the Kuemper Softball Field. The Knights were playing with extra fire, as it was Senior Night.

Even with the atmosphere favoring Kuemper, the Rams did not back down, forcing the game down to the final frame. Greene County even started on top, although Kuemper took a quick 2-1 lead after the second.

The Rams had a game plan going in and stuck to it, playing small ball and getting balls in play consistently.

“I thought our girls played a really good game,” Greene County head coach Tom Kennedy said. “Executed our gameplan.”

The Rams found their stride in the fifth inning, scoring two runs to retake the lead. Kuemper knotted the game back up in the bottom of that inning before Greene County got another one-run lead in the sixth.

The Knights kept fighting, tying the game back up in the sixth and scoring off a Greene County error to end the game in the seventh.

The Rams kept up in hits, trailing 9-8, while also having the same amount of extra-base hits. Sophomore Addison Gannon had two hits including a triple.

Small ball was also working for the Rams, as they moved runners on three successful sacrifice bunts.

“If we can stay within games, then we can play our small ball,” Kennedy said. “Then we have a chance to create a little havoc.”

Heard also kept the Rams in the game, pitching a complete game on the mound while only giving up three earned runs. Heard also had four strikeouts.

With Heard still being a freshman, she has pitched nearly all of Greene County’s innings, which is a good sign for the future. She has also gotten better as time goes on, keeping games winnable for the team.

“I thought Alaina pitched a really good game for us,” Kennedy said.

Following the loss to Kuemper, the Rams started their next week off with a home matchup against the No. 3 team in the HOIAC this past Monday. Greene County went the full seven innings with Saydel, which was a better outcome than earlier in the season.

The Eagles scored first with a run in the top of the first inning, but they were silent through most of the game. Greene County’s defense was backing up Heard well, keeping runs off the board.

The Rams even took a lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring two runs. However, it was not meant to be, as Saydel scored four runs in the fifth which led to more runs in the final two innings to pull out the 8-2 win.

Hanging with a tough team like Saydel was a good sign for where Greene County stands, even though it dropped to 4-15.

“We’re getting better. So, that’s the good thing,” Kennedy said. “We’re happy on the way we’re starting to look now.”

The Rams had a pair of chances at getting back in the win column, as they hosted Southeast Valley this past Tuesday and took on Perry this past Wednesday at the Perry Athletic Complex.