Softball teams sometimes go through an entire season without the oddities, twists, and turns Greene County endured at Saydel in Des Moines on Friday night in Heart of Iowa Activities Conference softball. One of the rarities being Coach Tom Kennedy’s team scoring eight runs in their first at-bat of the season. Those runs gave the Rams a cushion en route to a 12-10 victory. Saydel fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in league play.
The start of the game was delayed by 1 hour 11 minutes due to severe weather warnings in Polk County. A few very light sprinkles fell for a time during the delay, but most of that time was spent under sunny skies. Friday night’s contest was heard on KG98 and streamed on www.raccoonvalleyradio.com.
Once the contest began, it took 2 hours 42 minutes to complete the seven innings. Among the happenings many may consider out of the ordinary were the eight run top of the first, which took place with the Rams getting just one hit in the frame, a three-run double from Paton-Churdan eighth grader Carmyn Paup in her first varsity at bat. Paup later singled to begin her career with hits in her first two plate appearances.
Also, Saydel had four runners called out on the bases, their head coach delayed the game six times by arguing umpire decisions, Saydel’s Alle Thompson hit two balls over the fence and added two doubles, one of those being inches short of going out of the park. Thompson’s seventh inning blast to centerfield was officially called a triple because the Rams appealed that she missed third base, and the appeal was upheld. Instead of it being 12-11, the score was 12-10 with two outs and no one on base. The next batter was hit by a pitch and the following batter ground out to shortstop Laurin Lyons to end the game.
Additionally, junior Jenna Beyers threw over 160 pitches and went to distance on the pitching rubber, both career firsts, to pick up the victory. Conversely, Saydel used four different pitchers.
After the eight run top of the first, Greene County score a run in the second and three in the third, then did not score in any of the last four innings. Saydel scored in every inning except the seventh, even though the ball left the yard.
Want more? How about a triple play for the Eagles instigated by Destiny Butters at second base. The Rams had runners at first and second with no one out in the top of the sixth when sophomore Kyla Beyers scalded the ball on a low line to the right of second base. Butters dove to her right, made the catch. She landed on the second base bag for out number two, then threw to first to complete the triple play, catching the Greene County base runner before she could get back to the base.
In addition to the Eagles having four runners thrown out on the bases, they left 12 runners on. The Rams had eight left on base.
Beyers allowed 12 hits to go with two strikeouts, 10 walks, and one batter hit with a pitch. The four Saydel pitchers combined to give up 12 hits and six walks. Five of the free passes were to the first seven batters of the game.
Junior Megan Carey had three singles and a double in six trips to the plate for Greene County. Jenna Beyers and freshman Danielle Hoyle also had multiple hits with two singles each. Hoyle drove in two runs while Beyers and senior Laurin Lyons each had one RBI.
The Rams play three games today in the Ogden tournament starting with Class 4A Boone at 9 a.m. The team bus returning from Des Moines didn’t arrive in Jefferson until around midnight.