By Don Ketchum

Stee-rike!

Joanna Lepur couldn’t believe what she just heard.

The plate umpire called a strike on the Phoenix Greenway outfielder before she even stepped into the batter’s box. He said she erased the outside line on purpose and was assessed an automatic strike in the fifth inning of her team’s first game on Thursday (March 22) in the Sandra Day O’Connor-Deer Valley Softball Festival.

You certainly don’t see that very often.

To her credit, Lepur didn’t lose her focus. Shortly after the call, she ripped a two-run home run over the left-field fence to put the finishing touches on Greenway’s 8-1 victory over Phoenix Thunderbird at Deer Valley. The game ended after 5 ½ innings due a time limit. Both teams also had later games in the day.

 The tournament continues Friday (March 23) and Saturday (March 24) at both schools, with the finals on Saturday at O’Connor.

Lepur drove in four runs against Thunderbird. The first two RBIs came on a double into the corner in left  in a four-run third inning.

Bridgette Vargas and Ashley Johnson also drove in a run for Greenway.

Kari Hall, the Thunderbird pitcher, drove in her team’s only run with a double in the fourth.