Offense lifts Greenville over Urbana to 2nd state appearance

Pitcher Jordyn Fisherback drives in a run and quiets Urbana hitters.

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By Greg Billing, Staff Writer 12:59 AM Sunday, May 30, 2010

CLAYTON — The win total continues to climb for the Greenville High School senior softball players, the winningest four-year group in program history.

Two more and the Class of 2010 will find itself on top of the Division II softball world.

Again.

In a battle of two of the state’s top hurlers — who also came up big with their bats — Greenville doubled up Urbana 2-1 in front of about 800 spectators in the D-II regional final at Northmont High School on Saturday, May 29.

The win — the 114th for the Green Wave seniors — sends Greenville (30-3) to the D-II state semifinals Thursday morning at Firestone Stadium in Akron. It’s a second trip to state overall after winning the D-II title in 2007.

Urbana’s defense entered with a postseason shutout streak of 35 consecutive innings. That and junior Leanna Pittsenbarger’s two-out solo home to right in the first inning had the Hillclimbers optimistic about a second trip to state (2006).

But Urbana’s defensive dominance — and eventually its season — came to a halt in the third.

Junior lead-off hitter Tabitha Enicks reached on a fielder’s choice and sophomore Kelly Martin drove a double off the left-field fence to tie the game 1-1. Senior Jordyn Fisherback plated Martin with a sharp two-out single that the shortstop dove to knock down, but could do little else with.

“I didn’t know, but that didn’t matter to us,” Martin said of Urbana’s scoreless streak. “We were going to hit the ball, put it in play and make things happen.”

Greenville managed six hits off Pittsenbarger, who struck out 10 and walked two.

Urbana (29-4) had five baserunners after falling behind 2-1 — including the first two hitters to start the fourth inning — but couldn’t get the deciding hit off Fisherback, who also struck out 10, allowed four hits and walked one.

“That was really the difference,” Urbana coach Kevin Gary said of stranding runners. “You gotta have a little bit of luck when you’re playing these good teams because the pitching tends to dominate.”

Just like she ignored some nagging bumps and bruises from a long season, Fisherback mentally brushed aside Pittsenbarger’s homer.

“I just knew we had to score one to beat them anyway, so why not score two?” Fisherback said. “I knew we could do it because we did it in the regional game. I wasn’t worried at all.”

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