Dave Kennedy/Sun-Gazette Montgomery’s softball team poses after defeating Bucktail last week to win the District 4 championship. Red Raiders Addison Greger (21st) and Chloe Gaudner (26th) were important additions for Montgomery.
Addison Greger played for Nazareth a year ago when the Blue Raiders reached the Class 6A state championship. Two years ago, Chloe Gordner was playing softball in a Houston suburb.
Now they’re both Red Raiders. And their additions are a key reason why Montgomery is the queen of District 4 Class A softball.
Greger and Gordner have made a big impact since their arrival, helping Montgomery win the District 4 Class A championship. The Raiders (16-6) had Greger hit another runner from behind the plate and Gordner went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in an 8-2 title win over Bucktail last Thursday at Elm Park.
“I really love Montgomery,” Greger said. “I’ve built better relationships with everyone. They make me feel like an important part of the team.”
“This is really great, especially since I moved here from Texas last year,” Gordner said. “It was a new team, so it was really fun getting used to all the girls.”
Greger and Gordner helped keep Montgomery entertained throughout the season, providing consistent pop in the middle of the lineup. Greger, a junior, is batting .435 with 22 RBIs.
Still, while her offense is impressive, Greger’s defense may be even better. She has a hose for an arm, a sharp mind, and can stop the opponent’s running game. Greger proved that in key moments in both the district semifinals and championship.
In last Tuesday’s semifinal game against Cowanesque Valley, Greger picked off a runner from second base, killed a potential first-inning rally and hit two doubles in a 14-0 win. When the Bucktails got within 3-1 on Rebecca Conway’s RBI bunt in the fourth inning on Thursday, Greger watched closely from the start as runners tried to take the extra bases, and once again stopped the rally with a perfect throw to Ramona Kroll.
“She’s a great catcher,” pitcher Eva Hartman said. “We have a good bond. Even if I miss a spot and she gets mad at me, it’s fun.”
Greger’s influence is also evident in Hartman’s postseason brilliance. The senior pitcher had outstanding performances in both games against CV and Bucktail, limiting his dangerous offense to just two runs, giving up no walks against Bucktail, and throwing only 74 pitches in the final.
Perhaps it was appropriate at the time that Greger was the first to greet Hartman, who left the mound with a smile on her face as her happy teammates rushed to her side after the game-winning strikeout.
“Addy always cheers me up,” Hartman said. “Knowing that she can hit people and my defense can pick me up definitely makes me calmer on the mound.”
Greger is great at motivating all his teammates. Perhaps even more important than the offensive production and defensive ability that Greger provides is the leadership she shows on a daily basis.
“One of the big things she brought was leadership,” Montgomery coach Chris Glenn said. “She and (center fielder) Zoe (Furman) motivate the team. They’ll be a big help as we rebuild the team.”
That includes when things don’t go your way. Greger emulated Fuhrman with a next pitch, next at-bat, next play mentality. This is an important, invisible element in a game like softball, where even the best batters often fail to hit in most of their at-bats.
Greger embodies what it means to shake off those moments and move on. By instilling that quality throughout the dugout, he was able to bring out the best in the entire team at the right time.
“Addy never lets herself down. Even if she strikes out, she’s right back on the field and playing. She’s like the perfect player in that respect,” Glenn said. “I love that attitude because it’s hard to find. If you have nine players like that, that’s a tough team to beat.”
Gordoner’s presence certainly made Montgomery harder to beat as well.
The senior designated hitter has been on the rise since coming to Montgomery as a junior. Building on a strong debut season a year ago, Gordner batted .444 with 16 RBIs while guarding hitters like Greger and first baseman Madisyn Miller. Her clutch hits against the Bucktails were most notable with a two-run single that capped a three-run rally, giving Montgomery a 6-1 lead in the fifth inning.
Gaudner hit an RBI hit in the seventh inning to make it 8-2. Both hits came after the Bucktails had scored in the previous inning, slowing the Bucks’ momentum and giving Montgomery more shock.
“She always keeps me on my toes. She likes to run me,” Miller said. “Her line drive really helped us. It really got the energy going and was really big for us.”
“Those were big hits for Chloe,” Glenn said. “That kept the pressure on and kept the pressure on. It was huge.”
Gordoner has been hitting at the right times since last year, contributing to Montgomery’s 30 wins. She hit safely in six consecutive tournaments, and was especially effective late in the regular season against 3A North Penn Liberty (14-5) and district finalist Warrior Run. In those games, Gordner went 3-for-6 with 3 hits, 1 RBI, and 1 RBI.
That success carried over into the district finals, where players who didn’t play until last year are now a big part of Montgomery’s history, helping the Raiders win their fourth district championship.
“We all just do our jobs,” Gordner said. “We all encourage each other and work together really well.”
It says a lot that Greger and Gordner have assimilated so well. Both come from large schools: Mr. Gordner’s Texas high school had an enrollment of 4,000 students, including 1,000 in their final year. By comparison, Montgomery enrolls about 400 students in grades 7 through 12.
Big or small, it doesn’t matter. In short, Greger and Gordner have found a home. They and their teammates certainly appreciate it.
“The girls were all so nice and really welcoming, so it was really easy to get to know them,” Gordner said. “They really cheer you up. Even when you’re feeling down, they help you.”
Talk about interrelationships.
#Adding #Greger #Gordoner #essential #Montgomery