Josie Duncan of North Union, center, stretches out from first base to receive a throw from Avery Clark, far right, during the Lady Cats’ Central District championship win over Bishop Ready. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The Lady Cats of North Union won the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference softball title and were recently crowned the Division III Central District champions. Now, they move on to the regional tournament with the hopes of adding another title on their way to the state tournament. But to do so, they must first make it through the Lady Tigers of West Liberty Salem.…
Author: Sam Dillon
In this file photo, Sydney Bacon of North Union follows through a toss of the shot during the Virg Rankin Invitational. Bacon qualified for a Division II regional track and field meet with a toss of 33-0.5 for third place at the district. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) Wildcats fans will see some North Union jerseys at a regional track meet as the Wildcats moved on past the Central District. The Lady Cats could only score 42.5 points to take eighth place at the meet, but were able to advance Abby Davis and Sydney Bacon to this week’s regional at…
Madison Amstutz attempts to lay down a bunt during the Division III Central District championship game against Bishop Ready. Amstutz hit a walk-off home run in the fifth inning to beat Ready, 11-1. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The North Union Lady Cats’ softball battles with Bishop Ready have become almost legendary. The two teams have met 10 times in the district finals and the Lady Cats were able to pull the series even at 5-5 with an 11-1 run-rule win in five innings to win the Division III Central District championship on Friday. The Lady Cats have had…
Regan Martino of North Union tracks a ball down in shallow right field during the Division II Central District semifinals against Elgin at Olentangy High School. The Lady Cats won 8-0 and will move on to the district finals to play Bishop Ready. The game is schedule for Friday (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The Lady Cats of North Union are no stranger to winning this season. Wednesday evening was no different as NU advanced to the Division II District finals with an 8-0 win over Elgin. Madison Wedding started inside the circle for the Lady Cats. She fanned…
The North Union track teams will be moving on in the Division II Central District finals after placing well at the preliminary meet. The boys moved through the majority of their events with Adam Brown turning in the top performance with a second-place finish of 2:09.49 in the 800-meter run. Brennan Griffith will also be moving on to the finals in the 800 with an eighth-place finish in a time of 2:12.23. Kyle Willis also finished well in the 100 and 200 events. He claimed the fourth spot in the 200 with a qualifying time of 23.72 and a time…
A mother Robin sits atop of her nest while her babies’ peek out from underneath as they take in the warm weather. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
Kody Price of North Union winds up for a pitch during the Wildcats’ tournament opener against Newark Catholic. North Union lost 13-4 to end their season at 12-9 overall. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The road to the state tournament can be a long one, but it all has to start somewhere. For the Lady Cats of North Union, that start was against Mount Gilead on Thursday where they were able to continue down the path with a 21-0 win. North Union head coach Dawn Draper had a plan for her Lady Cats’ tournament opener and said they followed…
Jack Christian of Marysville strides through his wind-up during a Division I sectional finals game against Reynoldsburg on Wednesday. Christian came in to pitch in the fifth inning to collect a save and help the Monarchs win, 4-2. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The Marysville Monarchs have not had much recent luck when it comes to post-season baseball. Last year, the Monarchs lost in the opening round to Lancaster, but this year is different story. Marysville, the No. 16 seed, was able to advance to the district semifinals with a 4-2 win over No. 32 Reynoldsburg on Wednesday. “We…
North Union senior sprinter Abby Davis, in this file photo from the Virg Rankin Relays, races through the finish of the 100 meter dash. She has qualified for the finals in the 100, 200 and 400 events at the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference meet. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The Mid Ohio Athletic Conference track and field post-season kicked off Tuesday with a preliminary meet to help set the stage for the MOAC finals on Thursday. The Lady Cats of North Union have tallied 13.5 points to put them at seventh place during the meet which is being held…
Ashden Turrill of North Union dives for second base during a ball game against Mt. Gilead. The Wildcats won 10-1 and increased their record to 10-8 on the season. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The Wildcats of North Union are a team that has had some tough outings down the stretch. They were, however, able to right the ship Friday for the Wildcat seniors’ last regular season game at home. North Union was able to tally a 10-1 win over Mt. Gilead. North Union head coach Klarke Ransome said he couldn’t think of a better way to send off…
North Union softball coach Dawn Draper celebrates her 400th career win with her team and staff after a 10-0 victory over Buckeye Valley on Wednesday. The victory increased the Lady Cats’ record to 18-1 on the season. (Journal-Tribune record by Sam Dillon) –––– North Union’s softball game against Buckeye Valley was no different for the Lady Cats. It was just another game of the regular season. The Lady Cats took the field, like usual, warmed up and played against their Mid Ohio Athletic Conference rival Buckeye Valley for six innings before North Union claimed another victory, this time by a…
Josie Duncan of North Union winds up for a pitch during a game against Buckeye Valley on Tuesday. Duncan only gave up three hits during the 17-0 win. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The Lady Cats of North Union are a softball team looking like they are ready for the opening stage of the Ohio High School Athletic Association tournament. North Union was able to cruise to a 17-0 win over Mid Ohio Athletic Conference competitor Buckeye Valley on Tuesday. The Lady Cats cranked up the bats early, tallying five runs with a collection of singles by the top…
Jayden Eickhoff of Fairbanks follows through with a pitch during a ball game against Ohio Heritage Conference rival West Jefferson. Eickhoff tallied three strikeouts during the 7-2 loss. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon) –––– The Panthers of Fairbanks were on course to catch lightning in a bottle Monday against West Jefferson. The Rough Riders, though, are not the No. 1 team in Division III for the Central district for no reason. The Panthers kept West Jeff off the scoreboard through three innings, but one swing of the bat in the fourth changed all that for Fairbanks in a 7-2 loss.…
The brackets have been formed and the dates are set for the high school softball and baseball post-season. Coaches from around the state converged on Sunday at various locations to vote on seeding for the Ohio High School Athletic Association statewide tournament. Some local teams received high praise, as they were put at the top of some brackets. The Marysville High School Lady Monarchs are seeded number one in the Division I Pickerington 4 softball bracket. After a first-round bye, MHS will open the tournament with a home game on Wednesday, May 9. Marysville will play the winner of the…
The Cardinals of Triad had a tall order ahead of them at the start of Friday’s game against the undefeated West Jefferson Rough Riders. The order was too much for the Cards to overcome as they were defeated by their Ohio Heritage Conference rival, 10-0, in five innings. The Rough Riders struck first with several ground balls that advanced a runner home for an early 1-0 lead. Triad couldn’t get anything working inside the batters box as the Cards were set down in order. Trevor Instine got the start on the bump for Triad. He was able to hold the…