North Union’s Reece DeCamp prepares to fire the ball toward the plate in this file photo. DeCamp was the winning pitcher during a game against Graham.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Bob Putman)
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Wind conditions may have changed the offensive process for the North Union softball team on Saturday.
However, it was an against-the-process that led to the Lady Cats’ 6-1 victory over Graham in Central Buckeye Conference action at North Union.
“With the wind we needed to play small ball and get the ball into play,” said NU head coach Pat Grove.
North Union totaled nine hits against the Falcons, including several bunt singles.
Leading 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Lady Cats put two runners on base with one out and senior Ryleigh Rasey coming to the plate.
“I was initially going to have her bunt, but I changed my mind,” Grove said. “I am really glad I did that.”
The reason Grove was glad with not going with a bunt was because Rasey drilled a double to left field. It scored Emma Padavano and Emma McElroy to give North Union a 3-0 lead.
“I wanted to make sure I could find the pitch that I could drive,” Rasey said.
The Lady Cats scored another three markers in the fifth, but Grove said Rasey’s two-run knock was a big key to the win.
“Ryleigh did what seniors need to do,” the coach said.
Another NU senior also provided her team with a strong performance.
Allowing no hits through the first five innings, Reese DeCamp finished with a two-hitter in earning her fifth win in eight decisions.
DeCamp said the wind, which for the most part was at her back, helped her in the pitching circle.
“I tried to use the wind to my advantage,” she said. “I needed to spin the ball and keep it out of the middle of the plate.”
DeCamp finished with nine strikeouts, walked two and hit one batter.
One of the walks and both hits came in the sixth inning when Graham scored its only run.
DeCamp was able to regain her composure and notched the last two outs of the game on strikeouts.
“I kept with the game plan,” she said.
North Union scored its initial run in the second inning.
Kale Keigley reached base with a bunt single. She stole second and reached third on a sacrifice bunt by Padovano.
Keigley scored on safety-squeeze bunt by McElroy.
The Lady Cats strung together five hits on their way to the three-run fifth inning.
Zoe Wedding opened the frame with a single.
Kennedy Harrah put down a bunt single with Wedding moving to third.
DeCamp singled to left to score Wedding.
When the ball got past the leftfielder, Harrah also crossed the plate.
Rasey drove in her third run with a single that scored Keigley, who had reached base with a bunt single.
North Union is now 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the CBC, two games behind Indian Lake and Shawnee in the Mad River Division.
The Lady Cats are scheduled to play Shawnee twice and Indian Lake once this week.
G. 000 001 0—1-2-2
NU 010 230 x—6-9-0
WP—DeCamp; LP—Tourney.
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NU baseball team falls
Graham scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to defeat North Union 4-2 on Saturday in Central Buckeye Conference baseball play at North Union.
Both teams scored a run in the third inning.
North Union pitcher Mason Bright and his Graham counterpart, Breyton Reisinger, did not allow a run over the next three innings.
The Falcons took the lead in the top of the seventh, but the Wildcats tried to rally in the bottom of the inning.
However, they could only score one run as they dropped to 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the CBC.
Landon Converse, Miles Marlette and Connor Lassiter each had singles.
Bright allowed five hits, struck out five and walked two.
G. 001 000 3—4-5-1
NU 001 000 1—2-3-3
WP—Reisinger; LP—Bright.