Derrick Webb, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
FRANKFORT — Not so long ago, Adena’s softball program was in a rut.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
The Warriors were struggling to string hits together, struggling to find quality pitching, and struggling to find ways to win ball games.
But that’s when this past year’s senior class showed up and saved the day. Among that group was Greenlee Bossert, who instantly became one of the team’s top pitching options.
She never looked back.
In her final season as a Warrior, Bossert dazzled opposing lineups. She earned 16 wins in the circle, posted a 2.56 ERA and struck out 66 hitters. She also batted .550 and stole 15 bases — you know, for good measure.
Those numbers, combined with the way she carried herself and led her teammates, are why she’s been selected as SOSA’s latest Pickaway-Ross Athlete of the Month.
With Bossert paving the way, Adena finished 23-4 overall and 13-1 in the Scioto Valley Conference — a record good enough to win the conference title and reach a district final.
“Since I started playing ball, I’ve always wanted to win. In my whole high school career, we had never been league champions,” Bossert said. “So it feels really great to end things and leave behind with an SVC title.”
There’s no denying the fact that Bossert posed a problem for each team Adena faced. But she did it in a somewhat unusual way.
While a bevy of successful pitchers turn to an overpowering fastball to retire hitters, Bossert has always opted to use a plethora of offspeed options and pinpoint precision to get the job done.
“I am not a power pitcher. My pitches don’t have overpowering speed,” Bossert said. “My goal as a pitcher was to work corners and junk pitches. At the beginning of the year, I completely restarted my fundamentals. It took a lot of work to get my placement down, but I was able to do it. I remember going to pitching lessons a few days a week during the winter and just really trying to perfect my placement.”
All the while, she was also trying to further herself in her future career field.
At Pickaway-Ross, Bossert was able to get a leg up on her competition.
“I learned a lot during my two years at Pickaway-Ross,” Bossert said. “I was in the sports medicine program and I met a lot of great friends there. I am attending Wright State University in the fall for nursing. Once I graduate, I plan on becoming a travel nurse. A lot of the things I learned, such as taking vitals, which is just one example, have already helped prepare me for nursing school.”
Pickaway-Ross helped Bossert pick a future career and then study it before attending a four-year university. She says that’s just one of the benefits of attending a trade school.
“Pickaway-Ross offers tons of amazing programs, practically anything you can think of,” Bossert siad. “I recommend looking up Pickaway-Ross’ programs and seeing which one fits you and what you dream of doing the most. I would say the biggest benefit is meeting new people, learning new skills, and some classes carrying over as college credits.”
Bossert will make her transition from pitcher to nurse soon enough. But before that time comes, and well after, she’ll miss her time on the diamond.
And the Warriors will certainly miss her, too.
Adena will now look to replace her, in the circle and at the dish, and it’s no small task to do so. She leaves behind a legacy of success and has helped set a sturdy foundation for future Warriors.
“I feel like I accomplished a lot during the season with my team,” Bossert said. “Two of our goals were to become SVC champs and make it to the regional tournament. We didn’t make it to the regional, but we came super close. I hope that I can inspire the upcoming athletes at Adena to keep working hard and become better and better each year. I will miss the game a lot. It is going to be weird not playing after playing the game all of my life.”
SPONSORED BY PICKAWAY-ROSS CTC
