By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–A busy weekend for Union City spring sports teams brought mixed results.
The Union City softball team suffered its first two losses of the season Friday before winning their only game on Saturday in the Princess Warrior Tournament at Eddlemon-Hawks Field in Graham Park.
The Lady Tornadoes lost by identical 7-2 scores to McKenzie and Dyersburg before bouncing back on Saturday to defeat Gibson County 8-4.
The tournament portion of the event was washed out by rain, with Tipton-Rosemark crowned the champion due to having the best overall record in Pool A.
After their Friday night game vs. McKenzie was suspended in the third inning when the lights went out at Thompson Field, the Tornado baseball team battled Huntingdon to a 5-5 time-limit deadlock on Saturday in the Final Flight Classic.
Union City took a large contingent to the Jackson Invitational in tennis to face top-flight competition.
The Lady Tornadoes’ A-Team girls wound up dropping matches to powerful Collierville and USJ before beating Trinity Christian Academy.
UC mixed some players from its middle school program to compete in a B-Schedule and had good success on both the girls’ and boys’ levels.
The following is a recap of the weekend action:
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
McKenzie 7, UC 2
The Lady Twisters managed just two hits against Katie Chesser in suffering their initial loss of 2021.
Sophie Theobald tripled and scored while Emmaline Qualls had UC’s only other hit. Marlee Theobald was credited with an RBI.
Sophie Theobald was the losing pitcher.
Dyersburg 7, UC 2
Union City found itself in a 7-0 hole after just two innings and could never recover.
Qualls and Sophie Theobald both had doubles, with Qualls and Bailey Decker scoring runs. Decker and Anna Lynn Cheatham each knocked in runs.
Cheatham was charged with the pitching loss, falling to 3-1.
UC 8, GC 4
The Tornado girls righted their ship behind Decker and Cheatham, both of whom went 2-for-3 with three RBI.
UC led 4-0 early, then put up a four-spot in its final at-bat to break a 4-all deadlock and improve to 6-2.
Qualls had a pair of singles and joined Decker with two runs scored and Sophie Theobald went 2-for-3 with a ribbie and a run scored.
Freshman Emma Powell picked up her first varsity victory with 4 1/3 solid frames, striking out four and allowing five hits.
Union City is set to host Halls today and South Fulton Tuesday, both games beginning at 5 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
UC 5, Huntingdon 5 (tie)
After their Friday night game vs. McKenzie was suspended in the third inning when the lights went out at Thompson Field, the Tornadoes battled Huntingdon to a time-limit deadlock on Saturday.
Union City (3-4-1) scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to force an extra frame, but both teams put up zeroes in the eighth.
The Twisters led 3-1 after one, but Huntingdon battled back to take a 5-3 lead after six innings.
Chase North went 2-for-3 and scored twice, reaching base three times in all. Kyler Southerland had a hit and drove in a pair of runs and Mason Reed scored twice.
UC outhit the Mustangs 9-6 but left 10 runners on base.
Only one of Huntingdon’s runs was earned as the Tornadoes were guilty of four errors.
The team of Austin Brundige, Barrett Cox and Reed combined to strike out five and walk three.
Union City hosts Lake County today at 5.
HIGH SCHOOL/MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS
Because of threatening weather on Saturday, play was condensed to Friday only in the big tournament.
The Lady Tornadoes defeated TCA in the consolation match after giving Collierville a good challenge. The “B” girls won their pool, finishing fifth out of 13 teams.
The boys played the “B” schedule, finishing third out of 10 teams. UCMS No. 1 Ben Wade went 6-0 in the competition.
Girls’ “A” Schedule
Union City vs USJ
USJ 8-0
Singles
Shelby Bondurant vs Arilee David 2-8
Annie Wade vs Zainah Baba 1-8
Gracyn Callicott vs Blair Driver 1-8
Molly Kizer vs Anny Measley 7-9
Erin Gill vs Madeline Craig 1-8
Mimi Jenkins vs Madeline Miller 4-8
Doubles
Bondurant/Wade vs Driver/Babba 2-8
Callicott/Gill vs Measley/Driver 0-8
Kiser/Jenkins vs Craig/Miller 2-6
Union City vs Collierville
Collierville 8-0
Singles
Shelby Bondurant vs Margaux Britt 0-8
Annie Wade vs Campbell Stewart 3-7
Gracyn Callicott vs Kyra Gossett 3-3
Molly Kizer vs Taylor Carter 4-7
Erin Gill vs Lindsey Cox 5-7
Mimi Jenkins vs Julia Timms 6-8
Doubles
Bondurant/Wade vs Britt/Cox 1-8
Callicott/Gill vs Stewart/Gossett 2-8
Kizer/Jenkins vs Carter/Jaylnn Smith 2-5
Union City vs TCA
Union City 7-1
Singles
Bondurant vs Emma Presley 8-3
Wade vs Isabella Colbert 8-7
Callicott vs Audrey Reddick 8-7
Kizer vs Shelby Kate 6-8
Gill vs Bonnie Taylor 8-7
Jenkins vs Svetlana Dorron 8-2
Doubles
Bondurant/Wade vs Colbert/Presley 8-3
Jenkins/Kizer vs Kate/Taylor 6-3
Gill/Callicott vs Yeaghen/Abgail Quinn 8-0
Girls’ “B” Schedule
Union City vs USJ
Union City 5-4
Singles
Kate Schlager vs Denise Stella 1-6
Emily Fields vs Perla Kushi 2-6
Lexi Petty vs Emma Gracia 2-6
Dani Frankum vs Audrey Bolton 4-2
Madeline Underwood vs Abbey Smith 6-3
Davie Frankum vs Mary Chamberlin 6-1
Doubles
Schlager Fields vs Stella/Kushi 6-4
Dani Frankum/Jamie Becton vs Gracie/Bolton 7-5
Underwood/Petty vs Chamberlin/Smith 4-6
Union City vs Collierville
Union City clinched 5-1
Union City vs. JCS
Union City 5-0 Clinch
Singles
Schlager vs Neely Hutchens 4-0
Fields vs Desiree Walker 4-3
Dani Frankum vs Taylor Baines 4-3
Davi Frankum vs Abby Davis 4-0
Jamie Becton vs Makayla Robinson 4-2
Boys’ “B” Schedule
Union City vs Madison Academic
Union City 6-1
Singles
Ben Wade vs Caleb Guthrie 6-3
Kobe Terrell vs Zachery Wilson 6-2
Eli Ervin vs Garrison Parker 6-2
Charlton Wisener vs Sam Haynes 6-0
Owen Rogers vs Barrett Dowdy 4-6
Alex Del-Castillo vs Tanner Snell 6-0
Doubles
Wade/Ervin vs Guthrie/Wilson 6-3
Wisener/Rogers vs Parker/Haynes 6-4
Terrell/Del-Castillo vs Dowdy/Snell 6-3
Union City vs Saint George’s
Union City 6-1
Singles
Wade vs Carter Shaw 4-0
Terrell vs Lat Stoddard 2-4
Ervin vs Joe Carpenter 4-0
Wisener vs Robert Petra 4-0
Doubles
Wade/Ervin vs Stoddard/Carpenter 4-0
Rogers/Wisener vs Petra/Vento 4-2
Terrell/Del-Castillo vs Shaw/Downs 4-2
Union City vs Collierville
Collierville 5-2
Singles
Wade vs Moksh Shah 4-1
Terrell vs Carter Smith 2-4
Ervin vs Kaustubh Koya 2-4
Wisener vs Cater Amaba 1-3
Rogers vs Thatcher Poindexter 0-4
Alex Del-Castillo vs Ryder Dace 0-4
Doubles
Wade/Ervin vs Parker Cox/Cotton Brainard 4-2
Wisener/Rogers vs Cooper Johnson/Landen Amaba 1-7 Tiebreak
Terrell/Del-Castillo vs Nicolas Luciano/Braden Dace 5-7 Tiebreak