Lady Rams earn first home win since 2022, snap losing streak
Greene Central opened the season with a breakthrough Tuesday night, defeating West Craven 11-8 to earn its first home victory since March of 2022 and its first season-opening win since 2021.
The win also snapped a 10-game losing streak against West Craven that dated back to 2019, giving the Lady Rams an encouraging start to the new season.
Greene Central wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Senior Shelby McKeel sparked the early momentum with a double in the bottom of the first inning, helping the Lady Rams jump out to an early lead.
West Craven answered in the third inning, scoring four runs to briefly take a 4-3 advantage. The Eagles capitalized on an error before Kayleigh Simpson delivered a two-run double and Makayla Gibson followed with an RBI single.
Greene Central responded immediately in the bottom half of the inning with the decisive rally of the game.
Freshman Drew Wells started the surge with a single down the right-field line before seniors An’Nysha Wooten and Jayce Russell added base hits to keep the inning alive. Sam Martinez drew a walk to load the bases, and senior Gracie Baggett delivered a run-scoring single as part of a five-run inning that put Greene Central back in front.
The Lady Rams’ offense remained consistent throughout the night, finishing with 15 hits.
Wells, Anna Grace Tillman, Baggett and Wooten each recorded three hits to lead the attack. Wells also scored three runs and added a triple, while McKeel and Wooten each drove in three runs.
Greene Central also showed patience at the plate, drawing five walks as a team.
Tillman also made an impact in the circle. The freshman pitched a complete game, allowing eight hits and eight runs — only one earned — while striking out seven and walking six over seven innings.
West Craven stayed within striking distance thanks to Simpson and Gibson at the plate. The pair each collected two hits, with Simpson driving in three runs and Gibson adding two RBIs.
Cloey Sanders pitched six innings for the Eagles, striking out 10 while allowing 11 runs on 15 hits.
Greene Central’s balanced offensive attack and timely hitting ultimately proved to be the difference as the Lady Rams secured a milestone victory to begin the season.
With experienced seniors providing leadership and freshmen already making an impact, Greene Central could be positioned for one of its most promising softball seasons in recent years. This is a great sign for a team that went 1-64 the last three years.
