Gray-New Gloucester’s Steph Greaton was making her first varsity start to open the spring season Monday. It didn’t come without her share of anxiety.

“I was very nervous,” the Patriots junior hurler said.

As she blanked the Poland hitters through the first three innings, Greaton quickly settled in and grabbed command of the game. She finished with a three-hit shutout in a 3-0 win for G-NG.

“She definitely came out strong and stayed focused throughout the game,” G-NG coach Amanda Harmon said. “She worked a couple of different pitches that she’s been working on. The defense was behind her the whole time. We have her remember that if she stays strong and stays mentally focused, she has the whole team behind her.”

Greaton struck out seven and walked three. She have up a pair of hits in the fourth and only allowed four more baserunners the rest of the game.

“I just went out and practiced real hard in practice and practiced at home,” Greaton said. “It just kind of pushed me to do well the first game of the season.”

Zoe Adams had two hits and an RBI, while Greaton also had a pair of hits. 

Poland got its hits from Lindsay Theriault, Brittina Maheux and Kylie Martin.

“In order to put some runs on the board, you have to hit the ball and put it in play,” said Poland coach Kat McKay. “We only had three hits, and you can’t score runs like that.”

The Knights received a solid outing from Martin, who scattered six hits. Many of them were infield hits. Had it not been for a pair of errors in the fifth, it could have been a 1-0 game.

“It was a good game,” McKay said. “Gray-New Gloucester is a good team. So to go 1-0 with them through the fourth or fifth, that’s good for us. But we’ve got to come alive with our bats.”

GNG took the early lead in the second. After Sam Wilkins singled, she stole second. She came around to score on a Lyndsay Nunley single.

Poland threatened in the fourth. After being no-hit for three innings, Theriault ended that with a two-out single. Maheux followed that with a hit. Greaton coaxed a ground out to second to end the inning.

“It was a little nerve-wracking,” Greaton said. “I trusted my teammates and I trust my catcher (Wilkins) to call the right pitches.”

In the top of the fifth, G-NG opened up the lead with a pair of runs.

With one out, Alex Thompson singled and advanced on a wild pitch. Adams followed with a dribbler in the infield that Martin couldn’t reach in time, and Thompson came around to score. Then a dropped fly in the outfield and an error on the throw allowed Adams to score for the 3-0 lead.

“That was the comfort zone right there,” said Greaton. “It was a nice cushion to have.”

Poland had two runners on in the fifth on a walk and a Martin single, but Greaton got a liner to short to end the inning.

In the seventh, Melora Lavoie and  Kolby Woods each walked with no outs, but Greaton got a flyout for the first out. Then she got a strike out and finished it off fielding a dribbler back to the mound.

“Defensively, we had some strong plays,” said Harmon, whose team didn’t commit an error. “Everyone was moving. We always push them to talk and have them know what the next play is and have them rotate to the ball.”

[email protected]