Left Side Has Providence Softball Headed in Right Direction

On the left side of the infield, the Providence Catholic High School softball team features two promising young guns.

Sophomore shortstop Courtney Pych and freshman third baseman Morgan Greenwood are working together in a bid to point the Celtics in the right direction.

Pych had two hits in four at-bats in Providence’s 11-5 victory over cross-town rival Lincoln-Way Central on Tuesday afternoon. Greenwood added two hits and drove in three runs. Both connected for their first career varsity home runs.

And, with the exception of one communication breakdown on a slow roller that led to an infield hit for Lincoln-Way Central’s Kaleigh Barrett in the top of the sixth, Pych and Greenwood played sparkling defense.

Greenwood showed off her arm after fielding a couple of hot smashes on the third base line. She fired laser shots across the diamond. She also fired a laser shot over the fence in straightaway center field for a solo homer in the bottom of the sixth that stretched the Celtics’ lead to 8-5.

Pych and Greenwood are two of the seven underclassmen pushing the envelop for Providence (2-2) in the early going of the season. Pych’s homer turned the momentum the Celtics’ way after Lincoln-Way Central jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first.

She connected on a 2-1 pitch from the Knights’ Alyssa Farbak.

“Honestly, I think it was really big,” Providence coach Jay Biesterfeld said. “Coach (Trisha Kowalewski) and I even talked about that after the inning. It’s just one of those things. That’s what you need your leadoff hitter to do, and Courtney (Pych) is a solid player.

“So, that was nice to see her bounce back for the team and pick everybody up and get us going. That 3-0 deficit could have been trouble if we had gone 1-2-3 and only seen, maybe, eight pitches. That was big to get us going.”

Pych played shortstop and third base as a freshman last season. Greenwood made the Celtics’ varsity roster after cutting her teeth in the travel ball ranks, always playing up above her age-group level. She is a two-sport standout that dominates on the volleyball court with her 5-9 frame, too.

“Morgan (Greenwood) is obviously a pretty seasoned kid,” Biesterfeld said. “She has some real nice fundamental skills. But we’re excited about having them both. Our whole infield—if you look at the start—other than first base was two freshmen and a sophomore.

“We have a young team, but we feel like we have the talent to compete.”

Greenwood’s two-run single in the fourth pulled Providence into a 5-5 deadlock with Lincoln-Way Central. She spoke about the at-bat like a player with much more experience hitting in big situations.

“Since I was behind in the count, I was trying to make solid contact and help my team out and get back in the game,” she said. “I wasn’t going to give up.”

The only question on her line-drive homer was whether it would clear the fence.

“I think it was just a fastball down the middle,” Greenwood said. “I think she (Lincoln-Way Central’s Taylor Sellers) made a mistake, and I took advantage of that.”

“It was about an eight-foot high line drive all the way over the fence,” Biesterfeld said. “She hasn’t really hit one like that all year. We’ve seen it out of her in practice. But that’s the first one we really saw in a game, so we’re hoping this will get her going. We’ll take a home run, but we’re just looking to hit that ball hard.”

And to figure out what it’s like to play varsity ball.

“We’re working together, we’re trying and we’re getting the hang of it,” Pych said. “It’s fun. I played on the varsity last year. This year, it’s just fun to come out as a sophomore and feel like I’m a little more used to the speed of the game.”