“A lot of teams are happy to get here, but it’s terrible,” Greenville coach Jerrod Newland said. “It’s disappointing. It was Akron or bust, and it’s busted.”
Fredendall hit two home runs Wednesday in an 11-2 victory against Shawnee. This home run advanced Alder (23-4) to the state semifinals for the second time. It played in the final four for the first time in 2014. It will play No. 1 Hebron Lakewood (28-1) at 3 p.m. Friday at Firestone Stadium in Akron.
“It’s storybook for them,” Newland said. “It’s great stuff. It doesn’t get any better, a walk-off winner in extra innings. Unfortunately, they made about every play on us. The left fielder made a couple of diving catches. They made great plays. They’re a great ball team. They’re well coached.”
Greenville, which won the state title in 2007, was seeking its fourth state berth. It made the final four in 2010 and lost in the state final in 2012.
Greenville freshman pitcher Baylee Petry pitched a great game. She made only two mistakes. With Greenville leading 2-0 in the third, she gave up a three-run home run to Jillian Jaske. Until Fredendall’s home run, that was the only run-scoring hit for the Pioneers.
“(Petry) had a great game,” Newland said. “She kept us in it. If you had told me they’d only score five runs, I thought we’d beat them 15-5. I don’t know. They made some plays early.”
Greenville had chances throughout to add to its lead or regain the lead. It had a runner thrown out at third base in the second. It tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth only to have runners thrown out at home and second base on the same play.
Greenville stranded runners at the corners in the eighth inning and failed to capitalize on a lead-off single in the ninth.
“Unfortunately today wasn’t our day at all,” Newland said. “It’s very disappointing. We left 12 runners on base.”
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