For the Daily Journal
Sometimes, a single inning can determine a softball game. Such was the case Tuesday during Whiteland’s game at Greenwood.
Whiteland used a nine-run first inning to take care of Greenwood in a sunny yet brisk April affair 13-3.
“We just came in with a mindset of playing positive the whole game,” Whiteland sophomore Haylee Mathena said.
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Macy Cornelius, batting second in the order, jumpstarted the Warriors’ high-powered offense with an RBI line drive over the third-base side. The nine-run inning was highlighted by a Mathena grand slam off Greenwood starter Karlee Denham, who lasted just two-thirds of an inning.
“I just saw it all the way in,” Mathena said of the pitch.
Greenwood pitcher Tori Stout took over for Denham in relief, and she settled in by the top of the third inning. Woodmen catcher Celia Ward made an impressive defensive play that frame, throwing out Whiteland’s Delainey Gourley on an attempted steal at second base.
Haley Sylvester put Greenwood (1-8) on the board with an RBI single that inning as well. Stout pitched a scoreless third inning after giving up just a single run in the second.
Greg Norwood hopes that fatal inning doesn’t come to define the rest of his team’s season. The Greenwood coach said the team is dealing with injuries to three key players, prompting a younger lineup than normal.
“We’re just trying to find ways to make things work with a small staff,” Norwood said.
After the game, Norwood debriefed with Denham individually in the dugout.
“Our pitching is young,” Norwood said. “Sometimes with their youthfulness they haven’t played a ton or they’re more comfortable on their travel teams. In high school, you need small victories sometimes.”
Jordan Smith cranked the Whiteland lead up back to double digits in the top of the fourth with a solo home run. Madi Margraf mashed a two-run blast an inning later to further solidify the victory for the Warriors (2-5).
For Greenwood, the game wasn’t without moments of joy. Ward hit a home run of her own in the fifth inning, and her teammates erupted out of the dugout in a manner befitting a closer contest. That’s because
Ward made her first varsity plate appearance just a few innings before.
“The girls reacted to her because of how hard she worked,” Norwood said. “She got in, got an at-bat and she did something with it and they were excited for her — not so much that she hit the ball out of the park, but that she had success.”
