Greene County’s softball team came within an eyelash of defeating three rated teams in less than 48 hours when it finished in second place at Saturday’s South Hamilton tournament. The Rams downed Class 2A number four St. Edmond of Ft. Dodge on Thursday night in Jefferson, 4-3 in 11 innings. In the second round of the SH tourney on Saturday in Stanhope, the Rams were 5-0 winners vs. Class 3A eighth ranked Interstate 35 (Truro). For the second time this season the Rams lost to ninth ranked Iowa Falls-Alden in extra innings. Greene County dropped a 5-4 decision in nine innings to the Cadets on June 1 at the West Marshall tournament in State Center. Saturday in Jewell, the tourney title went to IF-A in 10 innings by a final of 4-3. The Rams take a 19-6 record into this week with five of the losses by one run and in the opponents’ last at bat or in extra innings.
Just like the first meeting between the Rams and Cadets, the seven regulation innings were tied 1-1. Both tournaments used International Rules in extra innings, meaning the next inning starts with the last batter from the previous frame starting at second base. Both teams scored single runs in eighth and ninth and IF-A scored a run in the tenth, but the Rams left runners at second and third in the bottom of the tenth when the game ended. Greene County had second and third with no outs in the tenth. The Rams had nine hits and two errors while IF-A had seven hits and two errors. Both pitchers went all 10 innings and were impressive. Greene County senior Jennifer Kennedy did not walk at batter and struck out six. Kennedy also had three singles with two singles for senior Mady Adamson and sophomore Tressa Rasmussen. Adamson drove in two runs and a ninth inning single by sophomore Emma Saddoris drove in the run to tie the game at 3-3.
The victory over I-35 in Stanhope saw the Rams get six hits to five for the Roadrunners. Greene County scored two runs in the second and fourth innings and one in the sixth. Rasmussen and fellow sophomore Hannah Onken each had two RBI. Rasmussen singled and doubled and the double just missed being a home run. Onken singled and doubled as well. Sophomore Marissa Promes singled for the other two Greene County hits. Kennedy shut out the top 10 team on five hits.
Earlier on Saturday in Stanhope, the Rams topped Prairie Valley (Gowrie) 11-1 in five innings by the 10-run rule. Promes was the winning pitcher. Onken hit a solo homer in the third inning for her second round-tripper of the season.
The Rams host CMB (Baxter) on Monday in Heart of Iowa Activities Conference play at the City diamond on East Lincolnway with JV at 5:30 p.m. and the varsity to follow. HOIAC member Colfax-Mingo visits Jefferson Tuesday and that will be one varsity game only at 5:30 p.m. on KG98. The Tigerhawks report being short on players as the reason for no JV game on June 25.