In this file photo, Josie Duncan of North Union rounds third base on her way home. Duncan hit a home run against Tecumseh to help the Lady Cats win 15-1.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
––––
The Lady Cats of North Union have been feeling their youthfulness lately as they dropped back-to-back games against Teays Valley and Benjamin Logan.
NU returned to form on Tuesday with a 15-1 win over Tecumseh.
Madison Amstutz took the pitching circle to open the game and found an early test .
Tecumseh’s lead-off batter found some green space on the first pitch for a double. The Lady Arrows worked the runner around to plate the opening run of the game.
Amstutz, though, worked out of the inning with a strikeout.
The Lady Cats answered when Josie Duncan led off with a single.
Regan Martino put down a bunt single and Amstutz singled to load the bases for Kennady Ruhl.
Ruhl put NU on the board with a RBI fielder’s choice to knot the contest at 1-1.
Kayle Sedgwick found space in the infield for a single, while a walk to Destiny Reebel loaded the bases.
Laney Converse lined a double to the fence that plated three runs, giving NU a 4-1 lead.
NU coach Dawn Draper was pleased to see her team take a strong lead.
“There is always that day when we can come out and quickly score like we did in the first inning and come out with five hits,” she said. “That is something we haven’t done in a while.”
Amstutz went back to work in the circle. She put down the Arrows’ six, seven and eight batters in a hurry while notching her second K.
In the mean time, NU added additional insurance when the top of the lineup returned to the plate.
Duncan and Amstutz each blasted solo homers for a 6-1 advantage.
Sedgwick began the third with a single.
Reebel picked up her second walk to move Sedgwick.
Converse, Chloe Price and Candace Halloway made contact to drive in Sedgwick before the Arrows could escape the inning.
Draper said moving runners has lately been the focus for NU.
“In our day off, we talked about moving runners,” she said. “It is not about your stats or batting average, it is about how many runs can we move across the plate.
“That is where we have been lacking in some of those games where we put ourselves on cruise control,” she said.
The real runner movement came in the fourth inning when NU crossed the plate eight times ononly two hits to take a 15-1 lead.
The Lady Arrows made a pitching change and it backfired as Tecumseh’s new hurler struggled to find the strike zone.
Draper said the Arrows’ problem helped the Lady Cats solidify their run-rule victory.
“I think if they would have come out and thrown more strikes and made us put the bat on the ball a little differently, it would have been a different game,” she said.
Duncan took the circle in the final inning and wrapped up the game with three strikeouts.
North Union moved to 12-3 on the season and will return to action today when they head to Indian Lake for a Central Buckeye Conference game.