MYRTLE BEACH, SC- While the rest of us were rolling over hitting the snooze button, Greenbrier East was swinging the bats.
After five lead changes throughout, at the end, the Greenbrier East Lady Spartans held on for a crucial 9-7 win over the Riverside (OH) Beavers at the North Myrtle Beach Park and Sports Complex on Tuesday morning, March 26 in a game that began at 8:00 AM.
The game was the first of a double-header this morning and for the Spartans, it was their sixth consecutive win.
Things got rolling early for East when in the top of the first inning Taylor Boswell hit an RBI single that scored Alanis McClary. East took the lead 1-0.
Riverside would answer, however, and got two runs in the bottom half. Emi Jeras sacrificed home a run then Maddy Kevern singled home a run as well. After one full inning, Riverside held a 2-1 lead.
That score stuck until the third frame when the Spartans battled back to take the lead. It began with a single from McClary, an error on a hard hit from Hailey Ervin, and another base hit from Boswell. McClary eventually stole home to tie the game at 2-all, and Lily Carola’s RBI base knock gave the Spartans a 3-2 lead. However, the lead did not last long as Milana McCaleb crossed home plate on a passed ball in the bottom half and the score was locked at 3-3 heading to the fourth inning.
The Beavers took a 4-3 lead, but in the fifth, the Spartans broke out. McClary doubled to left and a couple errors on Riverside and a single from Bartley brought in two runs that put East up 5-4. An RBI groundout from Jenna Groves and Carola’s steal of home a couple batters later gave the Spartans a comfortable 7-4 advantage.
That lead extended to 9-4 in the sixth on a 2-run single from Carola.
In the final frame, with East clinging to a 9-7 lead and with the tying run at the plate, Bartley struck out Riley Baca to end the game and East held on.
The Spartans pounded out 13 hits on the day. McClary, who has hit extremely well lately, went 3-5 and scored 4 runs. Boswell was 3-4 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs. Carola also had a good day and went 2-4 with 3 RBIs. She also scored a run.
Bartley got the pitching win. She had a complete game, allowed 11 hits and 7 runs (4 earned). She struck out 5 batters.
Annaliese Davis took the loss for the Beavers.
