ROCK SPRINGS — The Green River Lady Wolves saw their season come to an end Friday at the 4A South Regional Softball Tournament, falling to Cheyenne East and Torrington in elimination play at the Wataha Recreational Complex in Rock Springs.
Despite the 0-2 finish, Green River closed the season showing significant improvement after a difficult start to the year. The Lady Wolves finished 5-23 overall in the regular season after opening the season 0-14 before going 5-9 over the second half of the schedule.
Green River opened regionals against Cheyenne East, one of the top teams in Wyoming, and battled early before falling 14-2.
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The Lady Wolves stayed within striking distance for much of the game. East carried only a 3-1 lead into the middle of the fourth inning before gradually creating separation late.
Cheyenne East added runs across the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, including a grand slam from Callie Irwin in the sixth, eventually ending the game via the 10-run mercy rule.
Jocelyn Shantz led Green River offensively, going 2-for-3 at the plate, while she and Michael Burns each drove in a run. The Lady Wolves also continued to show patience offensively, drawing eight walks against one of the state’s top pitching staffs.
Cheyenne East improved to 21-8-1 on the season with the win, and their semifinal win over Laramie later in the day.
Facing elimination later Friday afternoon, Green River struggled through one difficult inning in an 18-5 loss to Torrington.
The Lady Wolves allowed 13 runs in the second inning as Torrington broke open what had been a competitive game early. Outside of the second inning, Green River continued to battle offensively and remained productive at the plate.
Sydney Lopez and Jocelyn Shantz each collected two hits, while Payton Shantz, Brinley Luth, Lopez, Cassie Kelley and Shantz all drove in runs.
The results reflected a pattern Green River faced throughout the season. The Lady Wolves showed noticeable offensive improvement during the second half of the year, but defensive struggles in single innings often proved costly.
That issue surfaced again Friday against Torrington, where a 13-run second inning created the separation in an eventual 18-5 loss. Earlier this season, Green River experienced a similar result against Laramie in a 24-13 defeat after allowing 11 runs in the opening inning.
Still, Green River’s improvement over the course of the season was evident.
After suffering a 30-0 loss in its season opener and enduring an 0-14 start, the Lady Wolves regrouped to earn five victories over their final 14 games and secured the No. 3 seed out of the Southwest entering regionals.
With only one senior on the roster, Green River also gained valuable experience from a young core that played significant innings throughout the spring.
While Friday marked the end of the season, the Lady Wolves leave the year with momentum and a foundation that could position the program for continued growth moving forward.
