North Union’s softball regular season has come to a close with the Lady Cats coming up just short of a conference title on Saturday.
NU fell to Springfield Shawnee, 3-2, and the setback finished NU with a 13-3 record in the Central Buckeye Conference’s Mad River Division.
North Union finished a game behind in the standings to Benjamin Logan (14-2).
Josie Duncan took the circle for the Lady Cats and pitched her way to seven strikeouts, while giving up seven.
NU go on the board first in the top of third inning and followed up with a run in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Braves responded two runs of their own in the bottom of the fourth.
The game became a pitchers’ duel in innings five and six.
Shawenee, though, scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The Lady Cats were limited to just five hits.
Kennady Ruhl went two-for-three with a double and an RBI.
Candace Halloway went had a hit and drove in a run.
Madison Amstutz and Laney Converse also hit safely.
The Lady Cats will now move on to Division III tournament action as they take on West Jefferson Tuesday in a Central District semifinal contest at Olentangy High School.
Baseball team falls
NU’s baseball squad also came up just shy of a conference title as they fell to Springfield Shawnee, 5-2.
The loss put tNU’s Central Buckeye Conference record at 11-5, a game behind CBC Mad River Division champs Benjamin Logan.
Kase Orahood started on the mound for the Wildcats and went five innings. He struck out five and gave up eight hits.
The Braves struck first in the bottom of the opening inning as they plated three runs. North Union answered with two runs in the top of the third inning, but the Braves expanded their lead in the bottom of third for a 4-2 lead.
Shawnee added some insurance in the bottom of the fifth inning for the final score.
The North Union finished with seven hits.
Aaron Krebehenne had two hits, while Carson Newell had one.
Newell and Trevyn Feasel both drove in runs.
The Wildcats host Fairbanks today and begin Division III tournament competition at home on Thursday against either Columbus Academy or Madison Plains.