North Union’s Zoe Wedding slides into the plate with a run during a victory over Elgin.
(Photo submitted)
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The week did not get off to a good start last week for the North Union softball team.
The Lady Cats stumbled in a 9-1 loss to Indian Lake on Wednesday, but things got much better for them in home games on Friday and Saturday.
North Union (4-3) posted an 11-0 victory over Urbana on Friday. It was followed by a 6-3, 16-4 doubleheader sweep of Elgin on Saturday.
“The loss to Indian Lake drove us to communicate and give our best effort all the time,” senior Ryleigh Rasey said. “We want to take the momentum from this weekend and carry it with us.”
“We wanted to reset things after the loss and that is what we were able to do,” NU head coach Pat Grove said. “We have great leadership on the team and they are able to do it in different ways.”
The Lady Cats scored in five of the six innings that were played against Urbana. The game was shortened to six innings by the run rule.
North Union collected 10 hits against the Hillclimbers.
Kennedy Harrah had three singles and drove in four runs.
Reese DeCamp notched a single and two RBIs, while Zoe Wedding slapped a double.
Sierra Farrington, Kale Keigley. Emma McElroy, Kailin McElroy and Rasey each had a single.
DeCamp gave up just two hits from the pitching circle. She walked two and struck out eight.
In the first game of the Elgin twinbill, the Lady Comets plated two runs in the first inning.
The Lady Cats tallied three times in the bottom of the second.
Farrington had a run-scoring single in the inning.
A pair of Elgin errors led to the other two runs.
A single by Keigley drove in Harrah to make it 4-2.
Elgin cut lead to 4-3 with a run in the fifth.
NU came back in the bottom of the inning on Harrah’s RBI single.
Rasey led off the sixth with a double. She scored on an Elgin error.
Elgin made it interesting in the seventh inning, loading the bases with two outs.
DeCamp, though, was able to get the last out on a fly ball to Farrington.
DeCamp pitched a complete game, allowing eight hits, walking four and striking out seven.
Keigley and Wedding each had two singles, while Rasey doubled and singled.
North Union started off strong in the second game, scoring five runs in the first inning.
Wedding, Rasey and Caralyn Hinkle each drove in runs.
The Lady Cats followed with three more scores in the second inning.
They got RBI doubles from DeCamp and Rasey.
Savannah Queen also plated a run with a single, but it was in the third inning that she had a memorable hit.
As part of a seven-run inning, Queen, who did not have a high-school home run, blasted a grand slam over the left-centerfield fence that gave North Union a 14-0 lead.
Keigley had a two-run single and Wedding drove in a run with a single during the inning.
Elgin scored four runs in the fourth.
North Union notched its final run on a single by Queen, to finish a six-RBI game.
The game was shortened to five innings by the run rule.
Brenna Martino surrendered four hits, did not walk a batter and struck out five.