Patch Spring Tour: Stop 4 - Greenfield, Whitnall Softball

Veteran Greenfield softball coach Jack Miller does not frequently send a freshman pitcher out to the pitcher’s circle.

But he has had no qualms so far doing so with Lexi Kirkpatrick.

The freshman right-hander and the Hawks improved to 2-0 with a 5-0 win over visiting Whitnall on Tuesday at Konkel Park.

Kirkpatrick allowed just three hits (two infield) and one walk with eight strikeouts in her second high school start.

“She’s not as fast as Paige (Ganske, Miller’s last freshman starting pitcher), or as powerful, but she’s been pitching for four years on select teams and she’s already had a lot of experience pitching,” Miller said. “She’s the most polished freshman pitcher I’ve had.”

Kirkpatrick got all the offense she needed in the first inning, and even chipped in herself against Whitnall freshman Carly Wagner.

Greenfield opened the bottom of the first with three straight singles, the third of which was an RBI hit by Andrea Solberg. Brooke Wilde followed with an RBI groundout and two batters latter, Kirkpatrick singled to drive in a run, the first of three hits for the freshman.

Alison Schell added a sacrifice fly to give Greenfield a 4-0 lead.

The Hawks (2-0) added their final run on Lynn Pipke’s solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning off Whitnall ace Carolyn Dudek.

Wagner pitched the first three innings for the Falcons (1-1) and retired the final eight batters she faced. Only two of the runs she allowed were earned.

Dudek, who was sick and missed practice Monday, allowed just one run on three hits in her three innings.

“Carly’s just a freshman and she came in and did a nice job other than the first inning,” Whitnall coach Gary Caliva said. “Carolyn, coming in cold, I thought she pitched really well.”

Caliva said it was just the third time his team practiced or played outside this spring.