HARROGATE — There’s just something special about a softball game between the Greeneville Lady Devils and Grainger Lady Grizzlies.
The two teams have played multiple memorable games over the years and that includes two this week.
On Tuesday, the Lady Grizzlies walked things off in a thriller. But on Thursday, it was the Lady Devils’ turn to have a flare for the dramatic, scoring five runs in the top of the eighth inning to defeat Grainger 14-9.
The Greenville win forces a second and deciding game for the District 2-3A tournament title that will be played at 9 a.m. Saturday in Rutledge.
As the score might indicate, Thursday’s game had a little bit of everything.
The Lady Devils scored three runs in the first inning and eventually padded their lead to 6-2 before the Lady Grizzlies put together a six-run binge to take the lead.
Greeneville countered with three runs in the sixth to go up 9-8 only to see the Lady Grizzlies tie the game 9-9 in the bottom of the seventh on a lead-off homer.
After stranding the winning run at third, Grainger couldn’t keep the Lady Devils off the bases in the eighth as they plated five.
Greeneville then got the Lady Grizzlies to go down in order in the home half of the eighth to seal the deal.
“We were in control early and were cruising right along and then we had that one bad inning where we gave up six runs,” said Greeneville coach Matt Million, whose Lady Devils improve to 25-13. “We got down but our girls fought back and I knew they would. It’s just been like this every time we have played Grainger the last two years as both teams will just fight to the very end. I couldn’t be more proud of our girls.”
Kaley Garland’s two-run double highlighted Greeneville’s three-run first inning.
Addie Lamons provided the long ball to start the second inning as she obliterated a solo home run to left field that plunked off the light pole.
After Grainger scored two runs in the second, Stoan Rader got one of them back with a double to bring home Lamons.
Garland’s third RBI of the night came in the fifth and it seemed the Lady Devils were firmly in control.
Then came the bottom of the fifth. Going into the home half of that inning, Grainger had only one hit but all that quickly changed as the Lady Grizzlies started to string consecutive hits together. They tied the game on Alison Byrd’s two-run double to left and took the lead on Jaylee Hayes’ triple.
The Lady Grizzlies had the momentum but it didn’t last long as Madison Carpenter gave Greeneville the lead right back in the top of the sixth with a two-run single.
Hayes answered for Grainger with a solo homer to start the seventh inning to tie the game 9-9.
In a game where the two teams combined for 23 runs, there weren’t many defensive highlights. Greeneville’s Baylee Ramsey, though, provided one that proved to be what saved the game.
Grainger got the winning run to third in the seventh when Amanda Kledzick singled and advanced two bases.
Kaylee Sturgill hit a high fly ball that looked like it was going to be uncatchable in foul territory down the right-field line. But Ramsey raced deep toward the fence and made the catch for the third out.
“After the home run, we weren’t in a great position,” Million said. “They still have runners on base but we were able to get some outs. Then our little sophomore right fielder Baylee Ramsey comes up and makes just a heck of a play to save the winning run. I felt like the momentum swung back to us after that. I could feel the energy swing back at that point.”
The defensive play seemed to light a fire under the Lady Devils as they put the game away with a five runs in the top of the eighth.
Grainger decided to intentionally walk Garland to load the bases since she had torched them with two doubles earlier, but the strategy didn’t work as Leah Phillips – the next batter – smacked a two-run single to right field that was icing on the cake for Greeneville.
Phillips then sat Grainger down in order in the bottom of the eighth to end it.
“This was a total team effort but we aren’t done yet as we have one more on Saturday,” Million said. “It’s going to be the same thing as it will be back and forth, they will fight, we will fight and it may come down to who gets a break or two.
“Tonight, we got the breaks and Grainger got the breaks on Tuesday. Both times we have played them this week, we have been a little in the hole pitching-wise because we have played more. We played a whole game today before Grainger even got here, and on Saturday we will be on more even footing. I think it will be a good ball game. It’s going to be fun.”
Greeneville 11 Claiborne 1
Greeneville’s first game on Thursday against Claiborne couldn’t have started any better for the Lady Devils as Kyla Jobe and Lauren Million both hit missiles to left field for solo home runs and a 2-0 lead.
Rader had the biggest hit in a four-run second for Greeneville as the nine-hole hitter laced a two-run single to left field. Carpenter had an RBI single and Million popped a double for an RBI.
Four more runs crossed in the Greeneville fourth. Million had her second double and third RBI, Darnell followed with an RBI double, Jones drove in a run with a lineout and Jobe scored on an error to make it 10-1.
The game ended by run-rule when Garland walked and later score on a wild pitch to make it 11-1.
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