'Pack attacks in Classic
The defense of Greenbrier's state softball championship got off to a great start this past week when the Wolfpack won the Madison County Leadoff Classic.
Garrett Black is the softball coach at Greenbrier High School.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
The Wolfpack (5-0) surrendered just one unearned run over the five-game tournament.
"We found a way to win every game," coach Garrett Black said. "It seemed like a different kid stepped up in every game."
Greenbrier beat Loganville, 1-0, to win the Gold Division Championship after finishing second in the tournament last season.
Sophomore Kassie Bailey pitched in the championship game, and the Wolfpack scored the game's lone run on an RBI double by Amanda Glover in the sixth inning.
The best game was the match-up with No. 6 Morgan County (Class AA). The Bulldogs beat Greenbrier 2-1 in nine innings to win the 2004 Gold Division title.
Despite striking out 18 times, the Wolfpack returned the favor with senior Austin Long pitching nine innings for a 2-1 Greenbrier win. The Wolfpack was trailing 1-0 in the eighth inning with two outs and two strikes on Kayla Adams, but the senior came up with a clutch hit to extend the inning and help Greenbrier to the eventual win.
Greenbrier also beat Stephens County, Winder-Barrow and No. 7 Oglethorpe County (Class AA) in the tournament.
The defending state champs moved from No. 5 to No. 2 in the state rankings after their performance in the tournament.
"We figured we'd be ranked in the top 10 somewhere," Black said.
Black also said that he didn't see it as an insult that the defending state champs weren't ranked No. 1 to start the season.
"That probably had something to do with Kristan (Glover) graduating," he said. "But if that is the perception, that we are down, I think we will surprise some people."