A friendly softball rivalry that has survived almost 10 years and more than 2,200 miles is still alive and well.
On Sunday, MSU third base Brittney Green faced two longtime rivals, catcher/first base Meghann Reiss and utility player Kaitlin Reiss of Wisconsin. MSU won the first game, 7-5, but the Badgers rallied back in the second game to defeat MSU, 11-8.
In the first game, Green had two at-bats, with one run scored and one strikeout, while assisting two putouts in the field. Meghann Reiss was injured and sat out both games, while her sister Kaitlin went 0-for-4 at the plate, notching seven putouts and an assist at first base.
The Reiss sisters and Green hail from Simi Valley, Calif., a city of about 115,000 people located about an hour northwest of Los Angeles.
Green said she first met Meghann Reiss when they played together on an all-star team in middle school, and the two became friends through their shared interest in softball.
"I've known Meghann such a long time," Green said. "There's never been a big rivalry between us; we were always good friends."
After junior high, Green went to Simi Valley High School, while the Reiss sisters went to Bishop Alemany High School, a nearby Catholic school. The schools are about 15 miles apart but are in different leagues.
"We still played in tournaments against each other once or twice a year," Meghann Reiss said. She added that it was fun to get Green out because she was always a good hitter.
Despite going to schools in different leagues, the girls faced each other on club teams during the summer.
"We kind of lost touch as friends after that," Meghann Reiss said. "But we still respected each other as rivals."
In high school, Meghann Reiss was a year ahead of Green. She was accepted to Wisconsin and found out the following year she would face a familiar rival in the Big Ten - Brittney Green.
"In the Big Ten, there are so many players, and to see someone from your hometown in southern California, it's cool, and it's something you can relate to," Meghann Reiss said.
Since high school softball, Meghann Reiss said Green has improved as a player but plays with a familiar tenacity.
"She still approaches her game the same way she did in high school. She brings her best game every time," Meghann Reiss said. "I think all of the Big Ten respects her."
Although the girls don't talk to one another much anymore, Green said she still has a lot of respect for the sisters.
"They were always great players, as they still are." Green said. "It's always good to see some people from your hometown."
Sunday's split with Wisconsin makes the Spartans 21-16 overall, 3-5 in the Big Ten. Last year, they were 24-10 at this point in the season.
