Playing in the season-opener for both teams, the Greenwood Gators pounded out 13 hits, seven of them in the final two innings, to defeat the Grayson County Lady Cougars 9-2 in Bowling Green on Monday.
The Gators’ Allison Bush pitched six inning allowing two runs, only one of them earned, on four hits to record the win. She walked no one and struck out one. Eighth-grader Kayden Murray pitched the seventh inning and struck out two of the three batters she faced.
Cougar senior Embry Thorpe absorbed the loss for the Cougars. She gave up single runs in the first and fourth innings before giving up three in the fifth and four in the seventh.
The Gators got on the board first with a run in the first inning. Shortstop Alex Grubbs, who was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three driven in, singled with two outs. First-baseman Kaylie Allen then hit a line drive into the gap in right-center.
Cougar center-fielder Kenzie Renfrow had a long run and tracked the ball well, but a full-out dive came up short as the ball ticked off the end of her glove as Grubbs scored all the way from first base.
The Cougars tied the game at 1-1 with an unearned run in the fourth inning. Designated player Chandra Wilcuts reached on an error leading off the inning, then stole second base. Cougar shortstop Mikayla Clark singled to move Wilcuts to third. With two outs, Maddie Duvall’s grounder was booted by second-baseman Caitlin Oliver as Wilcuts came home with the tying run.
The Gators responded with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead. With one out, Tori Dyer walked, then tried to steal second. Dyer was safe when catcher Bailey Snyder’s throw went into center field, and when Renfrow allowed the ball to get through her, Dyer scored to make it 2-1.
The Gators then took control with three runs in the fifth inning. Three straight one-out hits produced two runs before a two-out, infield single drove in the third and the Gators led 5-1.
The Cougars kept their hopes alive with a run in the top of the sixth. Wilcuts singled with one out, them stole second base. One out later, Clark sent a ringing double to the fence in left center to plate Wilcuts to make it 5-2.
The Gators then put the game away with four runs in the sixth inning. A walk. a single and an error produced the first run and left runners at second and third. That brought up Grubbs, who picked out an 0-1 pitch by Thorpe and roped a line drive over the fence in left-center, and the Gators had their 9-2 win.
With their home outfield undergoing renovation, the Cougars will host Central Hardin this afternoon at City Park Field C. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m.
