Greenfield-Central’s Zoe Starks returns a serve from New Palestine’s Abby Blachly during their sectional match on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. (file photo)
GREENFIELD — The Greenfield-Central girls tennis team didn’t let its first loss of the 2022 season linger long.
A day after falling to host Alexandria-Monroe on the road, 5-0, the Cougars bounced back strong at home Friday night.
Behind a sweep in all three singles match, the Cougars toppled visiting Blue River Valley, 4-1, to even their season record 1-1.
“Every girl came out strong to start and finish the match,” Greenfield-Central head coach Michael Turpin commented on the victory.
Zoe Starks kicked off the Cougars’ dominance at singles play, winning her match at No. 1 against Blue River in straight sets 6-0, 6-0.
Jaclyn Layton followed by controlling her match at No. 2, 6-1, 6-3. Brianna McConnell made it 3-for-3 in singles play at No. 3, prevailing 6-3, 6-0, to help the team seize its eventual decisive points.
The tandem of Leah Puckett and Allison Lowe won at No. 2 doubles, 6-0, 6-0, which put the Cougars in command of the final result.
The Cougars nearly completed the sweep at No. 1 doubles with a strong effort from Hallie Smith and Lauren Chastain. The duo lost 10-12 in a super tiebreaker after rallying back from a 2-6 first set. Smith and Chastain won the second 7-5.
On Thursday, the Cougars lost to both the host Alexandria-Monroe Tigers and Mother Nature.
After a three-plus hour battle through extreme weather conditions, the Cougars fell in a trio of competitive three-set matches at singles.
Starks led early at No. 1, 6-4, but she dropped the second 4-6. The third slipped away by the same margin.
Layton also won her first set at No. 2, 6-2, before losing hold in the second, 4-6, and losing in the third 2-6.
McConnell tied up her match at No. 3 with a 6-4 margin in the second set after losing the first 4-6. She fell short in the third, 5-7.
Smith and Lowe lost 1-6, 0-6 at No. 1 doubles against Alexandria, while Puckett and Kammi Anderson dropped a tug-of-war at No. 2 doubles, 4-6, 4-6.
The Cougars’ road match Monday at defending Hoosier Heritage Conference champion Delta was postponed due to weather conditions. The teams will make-up the match on Wednesday.
They are scheduled to travel to Morristown Jr.-Sr. High School today for a match at 5:30 p.m. and return home on Monday, April 18, when they host Warren Central.
Softball
Cougars drop two to Argylls
The Greenfield-Central softball team dropped a pair of games Friday night at Madison-Grant.
The visiting Cougars entered the cold and stormy night with a perfect 4-0 record.
The host Argylls (4-0) won the first game of the doubleheader, 16-6, in five innings before completing the sweep, 9-7, in five innings as play was later suspended due to weather.
Greenfield-Central (4-2) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first during the doubleheader’s opening contest, but the Argylls charged back in the bottom half to lead 4-1.
The Argylls pulled ahead 8-3 after three innings and led 16-5 after four frames.
Ella Redman drove in a pair of runs for the Cougars, finishing 2-for-3 with a run scored. Morgan Hornaday (2-for-3, double), Megan Wineinger (1-for-4) and Katie Muegge (2-for-3, double) each recorded RBI.
Makenna Rankins (2-for-3) and Olivia Roberts (2-for-3) had one double apiece and four of the Cougars’ 13 hits.
In the second game, the Argylls, once again, jumped out fast, taking a 4-0 lead after the first inning.
The Cougars rallied with four runs in the second inning and cut the deficit 9-7 before the game was halted in the fifth inning.
Greenfield-Central crushed three home runs and recorded four extra-base hits — with nine hits overall.
Hornaday (2-for-2, two RBI), Taylor Smith (1-for-3, RBI) and Muegge (1-for-3, 2 RBI) each hit home runs. Ella Redman (2-for-3, RBI) finished with a double. Rankins went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Wineinger was 2-for-3.
Greenfield-Central’s home game against Noblesville on Monday was postponed due to weather. The Cougars are scheduled to host Westfield on Wednesday at 6 p.m. before traveling to Zionsville on Friday.
Track and Field
Marauders win Patriot Challenge
The Mt. Vernon boys track and field team overcame a tough 11-team field and the “frozen tundra” early-morning weather conditions Saturday to win at Terre Haute North Vigo.
Keagan La Belle placed first in both the long jump (19-feet, 9 inches) and the pole vault (13-0). Avery Williams “broke through the sleet squalls,” Mt. Vernon coach Bruce Kendrall remarked, to win the high jump competition at 6-0.
The high and intermediate hurdles went to George Burhenn in 15.2 and 41.63, respectively. The Mt. Vernon 4×800-meter relay team finished first with the team of Josepth Blagrave, William Morris, Daylon King and Tristan Trevino.
Trevino won the 800-meter run, Derrick Marble was first in the 100-meter dash (11.37) and the 4×100 relay won in 44.48 with the La Belle, Marble, Williams and Caden Wildey competing.
Wilbert Jones III took first in the 200 with a time of 23.48. Reyce Morgan won the 3,200 in 10:12.01, and the 4×400 relay was victorious in 3:38.2 with a team of Burhenn, Jones, Trevino and Morris.
“We started at 39 degrees, but it warmed rapidly by noon, so it was not that bad except for the fact we don’t wear much,” Kendall remarked. “MV was without several athletes for band performances, including leading scorer Andres Langston.”
Mt. Vernon won the meet with 227 points. Terre Haute North was second and Mooresville was third.
The Marauders head to Lawrence North today. Mt. Vernon won this meeting last year and repeated the win over the Wildcats at the sectional.
