Wolfpack dominating region play

Greenbrier softball coach Garrett Black leaned against the dugout with his arms crossed and watched his players play pepper while they waited for Stephenson to arrive Wednesday.

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Game time was set at 5 p.m., and it was clear the Wolfpack's region foes from Stone Mountain were going to be late, if they showed up at all. Greenbrier had already had one team call and forfeit this season. Douglass High School didn't bother making the trip from Atlanta on Aug. 26.

But Black checked his phone messages Wednesday and had none from Stephenson coaches.

The Jaguars' bus eventually pulled in, and the Wolfpack greeted them with an 18-0 win that lasted less than an hour.

Wolfpack junior Ashlyn Masters hit a two-run home run in the first inning, and Savanah Koon followed with a second-inning grand slam. Six Wolfpack players scored twice in the second inning, which ended when Katie Tracy stepped off third early and was called out.

Stephenson's team soon was back on the bus for the more than a two-hour trip home.

While not all of the Wolfpack's games have been that easy this season, they haven't had much trouble.

They already have beaten the two teams that were considered their top competition in Region 2-AAAAA this season. They've recorded nine shutouts in 11 games and are off to a 4-0 start in region play. The Wolfpack have quickly silenced any doubts about how they would perform after moving to Class AAAAA.

"People came in here thinking we weren't going to do so good (in the region)," said Tracy, a pitcher for Greenbrier. "We have a good chance to win it."

Black labels his team's defense its "bread and butter." The Wolfpack rely on two pitchers, the sophomore Coon and junior Tracy.

Both have been able to keep the ball in the strike zone and rely on the defense behind them, Black said.

"We take a lot of pride in the way we take infield and outfield," he said. "The more pressure we have in practice, that's going to make the game easier."

Black started the season thinking Luella and defending region champion Union Grove were the teams to beat. The Wolfpack have beaten both of them on the road.

They beat Union Grove 2-0 on Aug. 19 and beat Luella 2-0 on Aug. 28.

Greenbrier sat atop the GaSports.com/GACA Coaches Softball Poll for Class AAAAA in Week 3.

"We feel like if we can win out, we'll be the No. 1 seed," Black said. "That was our goal.

"So far, so good."