CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Strong hitting, pitching and defense was the key for Bradley Central's softball squad to "get off the schneid" with a victory over visiting Signal Mountain Wednesday to halt a four-game skid.
Breaking open a close game with a four-run fifth inning rally, Coach Caden Ricketts' first Bearette unit dropped Signal Mountain 8-3, at Bob McKenzie Field.
"I was proud of the way the girls responded today," praised the new head coach. "It was a nice team win as we head into a district (6-4A) game against Howard tomorrow (Thursday)."
Now 7-9-1 on the season, Bradley will look to improve its district 1-1 mark when the Hustlin' Tigers visit Thursday.
Signal Mountain slips to 2-6 and will take on Red Bank This afternoon at 5:30.
BEARETTES 8, LADY EAGLES 3: Although Signal Mountain opened the game with a bang when leadoff hitter Berkley Roddy blasted a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall, starting pitcher Gracie Ownby turned right around for a three-pitch strikeout.
When the next batter, Carley Stone followed with a double, the Bearette junior hurler once again answered with a backwards K before stranding the runner when the following batter grounded out.
The hosts wasted no time to pull even as Greenwood opened the bottom of the first by drawing a base on balls and moving to second on a wild pitch before junior Alliyssa Herbold brought her home with a one-out single.
After Ownby set the visitors down in order in the top of the second, the Bearette bats exploded for a three-run rally in the bottom of the frame.
Junior Tori Cagle opened the rally with a single and moved to second on a passed ball, before classmate Karly Farkas belted a double.
Ownby helped her own cause with a RBI-single to bring in Cagle.
After a fielder's choice prevented another run, Greenwood drove in a score with a single to right field before she and sophomore Addison Staton pulled off a double steal to plate the final score.
The Lady Eagles answered with a pair of runs in the top of the third when Roddy singled before Stone belted a two-out shot over the left-center field fence.
Greenwood stopped the run by stabbing a hot hit line drive that was headed to left field, before the sophomore moved from shortstop into the circle for the final four frames, striking out five, giving up just one hit and no more runs for the save.
After holding onto a one-run lead through four at bats, Bradley put the final touches on the victory with a four-run explosion in the bottom fo the fifth frame.
After Greenwood reached base for the third time thanks to her second walk, Bryan College commit Lynlee Hodge ripped a single to right field before Herbold and Farkas laced back-to-back run-scoring hits.
After the first out was recorded, sophomore Presleigh Sanders capped the night's scoring with a RBI-single.
Herbold reached base three times with a pair of single and a base on balls, driving in a pair and scoring once herself.
Greenwood also got on thrice with a pair of "freebies" and a RBI-hit, plus she stole a base and scored twice.
While Karly Farkas belted a pair of hits and drove home two, with younger sister Kloe Farkas, a freshman, getting one base twice with a hit and a walk.
Roddy paced Signal Mountain, going 3-for-4, including her round-tripper and two-bagger, while Stone was 2-of-2 with a walk, also leaving the yard and ripping a double.
GAME SUMMARY
Wednesday, March 26
at Bob McKenzie Field
Signal Mountain 102 000 0 — 3 5 0
Bradley Central 130 040 x — 8 10 2
LaPorte, Collier (6) and Stone; Ownby, Greenwood (4) and Sanders.