For six innings, it looked like the Greenwood Christian softball team was on its way to a marquee victory. However, three runs in the last two innings gave Indianapolis Lutheran a come-from-behind win 3-2 Tuesday afternoon in the semifinals of the Class A Edinburgh Sectional.
The win propelled the defending (2019) champion Saints into Thursday’s final, where they will play the winner of today’s other semifinal between Morristown and host Edinburgh.
In a game that was ugly at times — both teams combined for six errors — it took some poise and leadership to get the Saints going.
That and a timeout.
And it was definitely a game that got away from Greenwood Christian, which was hoping to avenge a 10-0 sectional defeat from two years ago.
“We gave it all we had in every inning and we left it all on the field,” Greenwood Christian coach Tami Haynes said. “One play was the game changer, but I’m so proud of them.”
That game changer was sparked by taking some time to calm things down and keeping the Cougars from scoring at a most opportune time.
Lutheran was already trailing 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning when the Cougars loaded the bases with nobody out thanks to a hit, a hit batter and an error.
Senior catcher Quinn Johnson had seen enough and called a timeout, bringing the entire outfield and infield to the pitcher’s mound to talk things over.
The Saints patiently talked things over and settled down, as starting pitcher Nyah Garland then struck out the next two batters and forced Cougar batter Sara Wells to hit a tapper back to the mound for the final out.
In the bottom half of the sixth, with a runner on first and two outs, Johnson then stroked a Hailey Haynes offering over the left-field fence to tie the game at 2-2.
With momentum clearly on the side of the Saints, relief pitcher Maddie Geminden retired the Cougars in order.
Then a single, a Cougar error and a walk loaded the bases for the Saints. Freshman Mystic Means then singled home the winning run and Lutheran went wild.
Greenwood Christian nearly had the game won with two unearned runs. But the Cougars only had three hits — one each by Haynes, Katie Potter and Maddie Smith. Lutheran pitchers whiffed 13 batters, but also walked four batters and hit one while throwing a couple of wild pitches.
Haynes did a great job in keeping Lutheran off the bases for five innings, not allowing a Saint runner to get to third base.
Greenwood Christian ended its season at 5-8, but there was marked improvement throughout the season.
“It was a phenomenal game. I would take a game like this every time,” Tami Haynes said. “We fought and just came up short in the end. We have a lot of inexperienced girls. Only two of them play travel ball and the rest just want to play softball.
“They play and work hard, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
