GREENFIELD — Monday night was about more than just another softball game for the Greenfield-Central Cougars.
Senior Night is always a little different for teams, but with a massive senior class of 10 on the softball roster, it was an even bigger night for the Cougars. That was apparent in the pregame, with a 15-minute long introduction of the senior class. It was apparent during the game, with a new starting lineup featuring all 10 seniors. It was apparent post-game, as friends and family gathered around the players after they left the field.
The Cougars hosted Class 4A No. 8 Roncalli, falling to the Rebels by a final score of 9-0. The end result wasn’t what was important, though. Not on this night.
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“We did what we could tonight to get the seniors all as much time and as enjoyable of a game as possible,” Greenfield-Central coach Jason Stewart said. “Obviously by doing that, you’re throwing a lot of kids in positions that they don’t play. To be honest, they tried to compete, they worked pretty hard. It doesn’t help that you’re facing a pitcher that is going to Tennessee, a team as good as them, but I was happy with the effort.
“It’s about the kids. It’s not about a win or loss tonight.”
In order to get all 10 seniors in the starting lineup, the Cougars had to do some shuffling. Three players were out of position. Leading hitter Sam Kihega, a junior, gave up her spot in the lineup entirely and only entered the game late.
Seniors played for the first six innings. When the seventh inning started and the Cougars took the field, Stewart and his younger players gathered near first base. One by one, each senior was removed from the game, given their moment in the spotlight.
You wouldn’t have known by their faces or emotions that they were losing. It didn’t matter.
Kensie Bradley started at shortstop. Emily Francis and Macy Francis were at their normal positions of second and first base, respectively. Keryna Barrett moved from her normal shortstop position to catcher. Macie Fultz started at first base. Jessie Rankin, Shelby Cobb and Zoe Kesler were in the outfield.
Three seniors pitched for the Cougars. Lexi Rankin threw 2.1 innings, Madge Weidner started as the designated player and threw 2.2, and Fultz, who started at third, threw the final innings. They combined to allow 17 hits and the nine runs, striking out three and walking two.
The big group of seniors has been together for a long time. Several started on the Cougars team that advanced to semistate two years ago. Most of them were dressed and on the roster for that tournament run.
“They’ve been in some big moments for us, been part of some big moments for us,” Stewart said. “Hopefully we can get in a groove — we’ve been in a funk the last couple of weeks — and they can have another big moment.”
The Cougars offense has struggled the past two games, a 6-0 defeat to one-loss Seymour in Saturday’s Cougar Classic final and a one-hit performance Monday against Roncalli (20-4).
Weidner was the only Cougars player to reach base. She walked in the second inning, then had the lone hit for the team, a leadoff single to start the fifth inning.
The loss drops the Cougars to 16-8 on the year. Their last home game is Thursday against Carmel, and they close the regular season on Friday at Lawrence North.
They open sectional play on Monday against Richmond with hopes of making another tournament run.
“You want to see good teams before the tournament. That’s why we got Roncalli, we’ve got Carmel and some big schools with a lot of talent,” Stewart said. “You try to see everything you possibly can before the tournament, to try to simulate it. We’ve struggled a little bit lately offensively, and that hurts when you’re playing really good teams, but it’s getting us ready.”
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Roncalli 9, Greenfield-Central 0
R (20-4);016;011;0;—;9;17;0
GC (16-8);000;000;0;—;0;1;0
WP: Amber Linton. LP: Lexi Rankin.
2B: Emma McAllen 3, Abbie Carr 2 (R). RBI: McAllen 3, Carr 3, Linton 2, Gracie Holok (R).
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