Greenfield-Central’s Madysen Herbert delivers a pitch against Elwood on Monday, April 4, 2022. (Tom Russo/Daily Reporter)
GREENFIELD — The Greenfield-Central softball team serenaded freshman ace Madysen Herbert outside its dugout, junior Olivia Roberts wore the home run crown while raking the diamond and there wasn’t a rain cloud in sight.
Monday was a good day to be a Cougar.
On her 15th birthday, Herbert threw a six-inning, four-hitter with 10 strikeouts for the host Cougars, while Roberts capped a decisive, eight-run bottom of the sixth with a walk-off, two-run blast over the left-center field wall to run-rule visiting Elwood, 15-5.
The lopsided victory kept the run-producing Cougars rolling, as Greenfield-Central coach Jason Stewart’s program remained unbeaten at 3-0 on the season with a potential busy week ahead.
“Can we just have sunny, 55 (degrees) and go out and play?,” Stewart remarked on the projected forecast calling for rain showers all week. “It’s practice outside, then inside for three days. Don’t practice because you don’t have a place to practice. It’s a bit of a nightmare right now trying to get them in a groove.”
The Cougars relished their time under the sun at home, leading 1-0 after the first inning before turning a 2-2 tie into a 7-2 lead en route to a big splash in the sixth.
Greenfield-Central led 7-5 entering the bottom of the sixth, and with two outs, the lineup erupted to bat around the order while driving in eight runs.
The team finished with 14 hits, six extra-base knocks and five walks drawn. Seven Cougars’ hitters drove in at least one run led by senior Megan Wineinger, who finished 4-for-5 with four RBI, two doubles, a triple and a single.
Wineinger opened the game with a double and later scored on a two-out, bases-loaded walk to senior Morgan Hornaday, who flashed the leather with a diving defensive catch in the outfield to end the top half of the first inning.
A two-out triple by Wineinger in the bottom of the fifth drove in two runs for the Cougars, putting the hosts ahead 7-2. Her two-out, two-run double in the sixth setup a two-run single by freshman Josie White and Roberts’ first homer of the season.
“Meg is in her own little world. She’s been that from last year and the start of this year. I told people, she’s one of the best lead off hitters in the state. Unfortunately, slappers don’t get a lot of credit because it’s all about the longball right now, but I tell you what, there are a lot of teams that we play this year where she’s the last kid they want to see come up in our lineup to bat in a big spot,” Stewart said. “She’s just a machine.”
As a junior, Wineinger hit .521 with 16 RBI, four doubles and 34 runs scored. So far this season, she’s carrying a .733 batting average with seven RBI and 11 hits in 15 at-bats.
“Everyone is feeling the nerves right now to start the season, but my job is to get on base and I know we have a strong lineup, so it ended up in my favor, getting on base and driving in runs,” Wineinger said.
The Cougars (3-0) had nine bases-loaded situations against Elwood (0-1) and they capitalized for seven runs. A total of 11 runs for the Cougars scored in two-out scenarios.
“That’s massive. Those are crushing to teams. You think you’re right there, getting on it, then someone pops one over or drives one through. You can’t beat two-out runs as a coach. We talk about having to hit in the moment and being prepared for that moment, and they did a good job with it tonight,” Stewart said.
Initially, the Cougars had trouble timing Elwood ace Olivia Shannon, who went three innings to start the game with four hits allowed, two walks, five strikeouts and one earned run charged.
Greenfield-Central loaded the bases against Shannon in the bottom of the first, but despite four attempts to break the game open early, the Panthers top pitcher minimized the damage with a strikeout after walking Hornaday to score Wineinger.
“That first girl is pretty good. She was good last year. When I picked them up on the schedule, I knew that would be a good pitcher for us to see early,” Stewart said. “She was as advertised. We struggled early. You accept that early in the season because you just can’t get in a groove right now.”
The Cougars’ groove took hold in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out, bunt single by senior Taylor Smith to drive in Hornaday (2-for-3, two RBI, three runs) that tied the game 2-2.
In the bottom of the fifth, three bases-loaded situations netted three runs on singles from junior Faith Butler (3-for-4, double, RBI, two runs) for one and sophomore Katie Muegge (1-for-3, two RBI, walk) for a pair.
Herbert scattered her four hits, retiring the first seven batters she faced, while bouncing back quickly after Elwood’s Morgan Scott and Alivia Boston crushed back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth for a three-run frame.
Scott’s two-run bomb cut Greenfield-Central’s lead 7-4 before Boston’s solo shot made it 7-5. Herbert struck out the next two batters to kill the rally.
“It doesn’t seem to phase her, at least, looking at her from the outside. She doesn’t change her demeanor or anything like that. She gives up a bomb, she gives up a bomb and gets back and goes,” Stewart remarked on Herbert’s composure. “She has gradually improved in all three games she’s thrown. That’s good to see because we know the kid has got a lot of potential. She’s got to trust that she doesn’t have to throw shutouts because we can score a lot of runs.”
The Cougars backed their hurler with a one-out double from senior Ella Redman (1-for-3) in the bottom of the sixth before a two-out, RBI single from Hornaday.
A Butler single continued the two-out charge, which was extended by one of three Elwood errors and a walk to Smith before Wineinger stepped up to the plate.
“We know that our role this year (as seniors) is more important on the field and also off the field with the underclassmen, stepping up when we need to with leadership,” Wineinger said.
Roberts was hitless until the sixth, working a pair of walks, striking out and lining out prior to her game-ending home run.
“It was super exciting. That’s what we expect from Liv this season. To come up big in big moments,” Wineinger said. “She got the crown on. We incorporated the crown this year. It’s for home runs. We haven’t perfected the process yet, but right now, the person who hits a home run gets the crown.”
Roberts’ home run was the team’s first of the season despite 47 runs scored in three games. The Cougar hitters have now accounted for 13 doubles and two triples and three straight games of double-digit runs scored. They beat Hamilton Southeastern, 14-13, last week to open the season on Tuesday, March 29, and they won 19-2 in five innings over Richmond on Thursday, March 31. Both wins were on the road.
Herbert pitched in all three contests, earning her first-career varsity win on her birthday.
“She finally settled in this game, and it was what we expected. She was really good, pounded the zone and got the strikeouts she needed to get,” Wineinger said. “I couldn’t be happier for her.”
The Cougars travel to Scecina Memorial today for a 5:30 p.m. game, followed by an away contest at Danville on Wednesday and another road matchup on Friday at Madison-Grant. They return home on Monday, April 11 against Noblesville.
