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Big 1st inning carries Greencastle over Waynesboro


The Greencastle-Antrim softball team snagged a much-needed win Thursday afternoon when it traveled to Waynesboro and defeated the Maidens 11-7 in Mid Penn Colonial Division action.

The Blue Devils used a seven-run first inning to jump out to a big lead and did what was needed from there to secure the victory. It snapped a seven-game win streak by 'Boro.

In the first, after three straight walks to load the bases, Greencastle’s Alicen Hoover launched a grand slam over the left field fence to open a scoring barrage.

A few batters later, Mackenzie Oberholzer hit a two-run home run of her own and before Waynesboro could blink an eye, Greencastle (4-3, 3-1 MPC) finished the inning leading 7-0.

“That first inning really kind of knocked some wind out of us; we never fully recovered," Maidens coach Aaron Burke said. "We kept fighting but Greencastle did a great job. Every time they needed a run or two they were able to get it.”

The Maidens (7-2, 2-1 MPC) tried their best to claw back, adding four runs in the third off an Alexis Rosenberry RBI single and a three-run home run by Jenna Powell. After the dust had settled, Waynesboro had cut the Blue Devils lead to three, 8-5, heading into the fifth.

Both G-A and Waynesboro added two runs in the fifth, but the Maidens never got closer than that. Greencastle added an insurance run in the seventh on a Morgan Wagaman RBI double and was able to hold on for the victory, one that leaves the division anybody’s to grab heading into the second half of the season.

“What my girls did today is dug down deep, played Greencastle ball and finished the job," Blue Devil coach Mark DeCarli said. "Hopefully, this will get us on the right track. We’ve been averaging probably five to six errors a game and had none tonight. We haven’t been putting things together, getting out to leads and having them fall apart.

"Tonight, we were bending but didn’t break, which was the main takeaway for us. If we can play like that, and hit the ball, we will be tough to beat, We knew (Boro) would keep hitting the ball; they are a great hitting team."

Oberholzer finished 3-for-4 for G-A and Jenna Carty ripped a solo homer.