Apr 21, 2017 By Bill Hughes, For The Greene County Messenger 3 min read

COAL CENTER — West Greene started the second half of its Section 2-A schedule the same way it started its first, by enacting the ten-run rule on California.

However, the Lady Pioneers (12-0, 7-0) were in a fight early before earning a 15-2 victory in five innings.

“I am happy to have played defense because I feel that their team swung the bat extremely well today,” said West Greene coach Billy Simms. “We consider Jade (Renner) to be a top ace, they hit her hard, and came out and put two legitimate runs on the board and it made us play ‘D’.

“I like to be in a competitive game to make our girls buckle down and my hat’s off to (Cal) for how they did today.”

California coach Tom Glawinski knows his team came out fast, but that it has to maintain its hitting while improving its defense.

“We were right there with them in the first inning and my team can hit the ball,” he said. “We just have to get over the errors, or maybe they were a little nervous because of possibly being intimidated by West Greene.

“We start three freshmen and we are young, but no excuses as West Greene is so good.”

West Greene jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as it pieced together a pair of singles to go with two Cal errors.

Kaitlyn Rizor had an RBI single to score McKenna Lampe and Madison Lampe scored on a Lady Trojan miscue.

The errors by Cal was a theme in the game, as it finished with seven.

In the home half of the first, the Lady Trojans (3-6, 3-4) countered with two runs of their own.

Rebecca Staley scored on a fielder’s choice off of the bat of Ashley Gush, and then Kalsie Walker scored on a double steal.

Cal stranded runners on second and third, but it didn’t get another hit until the fifth inning in its last at-bat when Bre Trusler singled.

West Greene scored 10 runs in the second inning on six hits and was aided by five Cal errors.

Mackenzie Carpenter had two singles in the inning, as eight different Lady Pioneers scored a run in the frame.

Carpenter, Marissa Rode, and Madison Renner had RBI singles in the inning, while Jade Renner had an RBI double and Madison Lampe had an RBI triple.

Linzee Stover had an RBI single for West Greene in the third, and both Madison Renner and Lexie Mooney had RBI singles in the fourth to close out the scoring.

The top of the lineup was dominating for West Greene and five players had two hits.

McKenna Lampe reached base four times with her double, two walks, and help from an error, Madison Lampe finished with a triple and single, Mooney had a single and a double, and both Madison Renner and Carpenter each had two singles.

“Sometimes we don’t get to work on small ball because when you get a lead, sometimes people think you are running it up,” Simms said. “But with the game close early, we were able to do that today and when we get our leadoff hitters on, we are a totally different dynamic.”

The win extends West Greene’s undefeated section record to 17 straight and it has won 21 out of 22 section games dating back to the 2015 season.