Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Maryville Sweeps Greenville 9-7, 10-0
MARYVILLE – A cold day is no friend to hitters, but Maryville warmed up the bats just in time Friday afternoon and swept a doubleheader from Greenville to begin the home season.
The Scots improved to 5-1 on the young season after winning 9-7 and 10-0 on a day when temperatures never climbed out of the 30s. The second game was halted in the fifth inning by the run rule.
Maryville trailed 7-4 entering the last of the sixth inning of Game 1 before erupting for five big runs. Brecca Williams had an RBI-triple to ignite the flurry, with Amaya Goodloe and Emily Hill adding run-scoring singles later in the frame.
The Scots in Friday's two games scored 15 runs over their final five at bats.
"I challenged them after the first game to come out and show everybody what Scot Softball actually looks like, and they did," Maryville head coach Leah Kelley said. "The first game, we had such a slow start. There were nerves, it being the first home game.
"I told them I was glad that they found a way to win, which is the sign of a great team, but that the ball doesn't know which team is supposed to win. We have to compete."
Errors and Wild Pitches
Both teams committed four errors and made two wild pitches in the opener, and Maryville didn't get its first hit until the fifth inning. That was a single by Goodloe, who came around to score on Jenica Brown's base hit.
"It's all about having each other's back and believing in one another, even when we aren't producing," said Brown, who went 3-for-5 in the doubleheader with five runs scored. "We see it in practice every day and we know how many good players we have on this team and how successful we can be.
Megan Ackerman went the route in the opener, improving to 3-0. She struck out eight and did not walk a batter.
Maryville in Game 2 got the bats going. The Scots scored in the first on Hill's RBI-double and then added three more in the third. Goodloe and Brown again got a rally started, this time coming home on Greenville errors. Kaliyah Hensic added a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.
Deck Drills Inside-the-Parker
The Scots closed it out with six runs in the fourth, all after the first two batters were retired.
Courtney Deck smoked a drive to right center and circled the bases for a two-run inside-the-park homer. Micayla Clark later sliced a three-run pinch-double just inside the bag at first before Annie Fowler singled home the 10th and final run.
Macee Shults got the win, improving to 2-1. She fanned four and allowed just one hit over her four innings.
"We pitched great," Kelley said. "We didn't back Megan up defensively in the first game, but she pitched well. And then Macee pitched an absolute great game. When you can play on both sides of the ball, you're going to win a lot of games."
Madi Case was the top hitter for Greenville, finishing the doubleheader 4-for-6 with two runs scored.
The Panthers dropped to 0-6.
"We reached back today and found who we were again," said Brown, who is one of several newcomers making an early impact. "Coach Kelley says we are redefining Maryville Softball this year. Today was just the beginning."
Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m.
