Kennedy Ruhl of North Union catches a ball in left field during a regional semifinals game against West Liberty Salem. Ruhl went 1-3 at the plate during the Lady Cats’ 5-1 win to advance to the regional finals at Wright State University on Saturday.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
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The Lady Cats of North Union are a team that has the uncanny ability to score runs. To steal a phrase from head coach Dawn Draper, “If you score a run every inning ,you can’t lose.”
North Union wasn’t quite able to plate a run every inning during its regional semifinal battle against West Liberty Salem on Wednesday at Wright State University.
However, the Cats scored enough to claim the 5-1 victory and advance to the regional finals.
The Lady Cats have been able to find their stride early in ball game this post-season and Wednesday’s game was no different.
They tallied two runs in the top of the first. Abby Davis slapped a ball into the infield and legged out a single.
Madison Amstutz followed up with a bunt of her own that dribbled its way just out in front of the plate. On the throw attempt to first, the ball sailed past the first basemen.
What was supposed to be a sacrifice bunt turned into an error that scored both Davis and Amstutz, who wheeled her way around all the bases NU’s second run.
The early lead gave the Cats some breathing room.
“I just think it shows how my kids understand how important it is, not just us coaches,” said Draper. “When we jump out to that bigger lead, it is not that we can give ourselves a little bit of rest, but it gives us a margin of error that we don’t have to worry about later.”
NU pitcher Madison Wedding held the Lady Tigers to eight hits, while notching six strikeouts.
The Tigers had to hit the ball to get on base as Wedding gave up no walks.
She had help from North Union’s defense in limiting WLS to a single run.
Draper said Wedding’s ability to collect a strikeout in almost every inning, along with the early lead, helped win the game.
“Maddy had a ‘K’ in almost every inning and that is big,” said Draper. “So if you throw in the margin for error, you thrown in already being up and Maddy on the mound, it worked out well.”
The Tigers’ lone run came in the second with the bases loaded and two outs. A shot up the middle plated the run and put the game at 3-1 after two innings.
The Lady Cats erased that run in the third inning.
Amstutz singled and advanced to third on a double in the left field gap by Maddison Ruhl.
The throw coming to the plate to hold Amstutz at third sailed over the catcher’s head. Amstutz took off for home and tallied the Lady Cats’ fourth run.
NU’s defense shut down the Tigers during the ensuing at-bat.
The Lady Cats tallied their final run in the fifth on an Avery Clark RBI single to left field.
The real show-stopper, though, was Kennedy Ruhl in left field during West Liberty’s next at-bat.
The Lady Tigers had built up some momentum with an infield bunt, putting their number three hitter at the plate.
She roped a line drive to the left field gap. Ruhl stretched out on a dive to glove the ball and end the Tiger’s momentum.
“Kennedy is not normally an outfielder,” said Draper. “She was worked really hard to fit in with this group of kids the best that she can and I think she surprised herself.
“That was phenomenal,” said the coach. “They hit the ball hard and any other time that is a double. Kennedy, though, was on it today.”
The Lady Cat defense was able to seal the victory with a pop fly to Kori Marvin in right field.
North Union will face Williamsburg in the regional finals. Williamsburg earned its final’s berth with a 10-2 win over Indian Lake earlier in the day.
The Dayton Regional title game is set for Saturday at noon at Wright State University.
NU 2 1 1 0 1 0 0 5 8 2
WLS 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 8 2
WP- Wedding, 7 IP
LP- Day, 7 IP