Some 15 hours after suffering their first defeat of the season, the Greene County softball team lost a second straight game, this time to a rated team in extra innings. Both losses were by a single run. The Rams lost on Friday night in Colfax to Colfax-Mingo 4-3, then Iowa Falls-Alden, ranked ninth in Class 3A, nipped Greene County in nine innings by a 5-4 score in State Center late Saturday morning in the West Marshall tournament. Greene County was a winner later Saturday over the host WM team by a score of 11-4. Coach Tom Kennedy’s Rams enter this week with a 4-2 overall record and a 2-1 Heart of Iowa Activities Conference mark. The team plays Collins-Maxwell-Baxter in Collins Monday night to complete a string of six straight games where the Rams were the visiting team. A four-game home stand begins on June 4 vs. non-conference opponent Perry.
The Rams were the visiting team in both games Saturday. They trailed IF-A 1-0 from the first inning on before scoring a run in the seventh inning. Tied 1-1 in the top of the eight, Gr. Co. scored three times for a 4-1 lead, only to see the Cadets tie the game in the bottom of the frame. The Rams were held off the board in the ninth while IF-A pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the frame with one out. Senior Jennifer Kennedy was the losing pitcher, allowing one earned run in 8-1/3 innings on six hits and three walks. Kennedy recorded five strikeouts. The Rams had six errors in the game. Greene County mustered six hits vs. IF-A with sophomore Emma Saddoris collecting two doubles and a single. Sophomore Marissa Promes had a single and double, while senior Mady Adamson doubled. Sophomores Hannah Onken and Tressa Rasmussen added singles. Sophomore Kayla Mobley, Promes, and Saddoris each drove in a run.
The win over WM saw the Rams lead from start to finish. Gr. Co. scored two runs in the first, one in the third, fourth in the fifth, and four in the seventh. WM had a run in the first, one in the fifth, and two in the seventh. Promes went the distance and was the winning pitcher. The game was the first in a varsity game for her this season. The sophomore had no strikeouts while scattering seven hits, all singles, and she walked two batters. The Rams collected 10 hits including six for extra bases. Kennedy had a double and two singles and Mobley and Adamson each doubled and singled. Christensen had the only triple of the game. Rams driving in runs were Adamson (2), and one each by Kennedy, Christensen, Saddoris, Mobley, Onken, and freshman Carleigh Paup.
The June 4 game vs. Perry can be heard on KDLS 1310 AM with Shawn Kenney on the play-by-play.