Greene County loses 3A semifinal softball game

By SUE RIEDER
sports@beeherald.com
Greene County’s softball team ran into a very good squad from Benton Community and lost 8-1 in a 3A state semifinal game on June 23. The Bobcat pitcher, Amber Fiser, had only given up two earned runs this season prior to the start of the game, and she kept that statistic intact, as the only run the Rams could get across the plate was unearned due to a Bobcat error. Fizer got her 1000th strike out of her career during the game, but she wasn’t the only exceptional player on Benton Community’s team. They also had the state’s leading home run hitter, Alyssa Wiebel. Ram pitcher Marissa Promes tried to give Wiebel poor pitches to hit, but found out that the Illinois State recruit can even hit balls that are outside of the strike zone. Wiebel recorded home runs 20 and 21 during the game and drove in seven of the Bobcat’s eight runs. Promes finished the game giving up eight earned runs on 10 hits and three walks, while striking out four batters.
Offensively, Greene County had six hits. Carleigh Paup led the Rams with a double and a single.  Sydney Koch, Bailey Godwin, Hannah Onken, and Marissa Promes all had one single.
The Rams scored their run in the sixth inning when Emily Christensen reached first on an error, and Hannah Onken and Emma Saddoris followed with singles. Christensen was thrown out at third, but  Megan Carey, who was running for Onken, scored  from second when Promes ripped the third single of the inning. Greene County stranded seven runners on base in the game including three in the fifth inning and two in the sixth frame.
“Benton is a very good team,” said Coach Tom Kennedy. “ We tried to stay away from pitching strikes to Wiebel, but  she hit her second home run off of a pitch that was high and outside. There is a reason why she leads the state in home runs. I was glad to see us hit the ball off of Fiser, but she is very good also. I think our team will respond and be motivated to play hard tomorrow in the consolation game versus Center Point-Urbana.”