North Union first baseman Ryleigh Rasey keeps a eye on a Utica batter with a runner at the bag. Rasey helped NU beat Centerburg by driving in three runs.
(Journal-Tribune file photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
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From the very beginning of a Division III district semifinal at Centerburg, North Union head softball coach Emily Lindsey implored her players to give their very best.
That is exactly what the Lady Cats did and as a result, they will be playing for a district championship.
But it was not an easy task.
North Union, the No. 4 seed, came from behind twice and then held off the third-seeded Trojans in the last two innings for a 9-7 victory.
The Lady Cats (20-3) last made a district final in 2018, which they won over Columbus Bishop Ready.
“We had a lot of energy and we wanted to play our best,” junior first baseman Ryleigh Rasey said. “That energy helped us make the plays we needed.”
“I was proud of the energy we brought to the game,” Lindsey said. “We played our best at the end when it mattered.”
North Union will meet second-seeded West Jefferson for the district title at 3 p.m. Saturday at Pickerington Central High School.
The two teams met on April 13 at West Jefferson with the Lady Cats earning a 7-2 victory. It was the Roughriders’ only loss of the season.
West Jefferson (18-1) defeated Elgin 3-0 in the other district semifinal.
Centerburg (20-7) scored in each of the first three innings, but North Union answered back each time on its way to a 9-4 lead after five frames.
The Trojans took advantage of some Lady Cat fielding miscues to score three runs in the bottom of the sixth.
NU pitcher Reese DeCamp, though, struck out the final batter in the sixth. She retired three of the four batters she faced in the seventh on ground outs to preserve the victory.
DeCamp had her struggles throughout the game, but Lindsey had confidence in the junior hurler.
“She is a competitor and there is not anybody else I wanted in the circle,” she said. “She wants to be in that position.”
DeCamp said some of her troubles were of her own doing.
In the end, however, those behind her helped get through the tough innings.
“I dug myself in some holes,” DeCamp said. “Our defense worked through it and that is what we needed.”
DeCamp surrendered 12 hits, walked three and struck out three.
After falling behind 1-0, North Union tied the game in the second on a Kennedy Harrah single that scored Rasey.
Centerburg tallied two more markers in the bottom of the second, but North Union came right back with three runs in the third.
Jayla Kelley drove in one run with a double and DeCamp plated two with another two-bagger.
The Trojans knotted the game in the bottom of the third, but the Lady Cats continued their trend of crossing the plate after their opponent had scored.
A two-run single by Rasey scored Laine Sparks and DeCamp, giving North Union a 6-4 lead.
The Lady Cats bumped the margin to 9-4 in the fifth inning, scoring three times.
Jada Davis had a run-scoring single.
The other two runs came on a bases-loaded walk to Kale Keigley, which was followed by Rasey getting hit by a pitch.
That gave the Lady Cats enough of a cushion to withstand the Centerburg rally.
“We did not want the season to end so we fought for more runs,” Rasey said.
“We are a scrappy team,” DeCamp said.
Lindsey was pleased the Lady Cats followed her message given before the game.
“They kept up the energy for seven innings,” Lindsey said.
NU 013 230 0—9-14-2
C’burg 121 003 0—7-12-2