By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–It’s safe to say that Union City Middle School baseball is on an early-season roll.
The Tornadoes improved to 7-0 with a 12-2 thumping of visiting Ripley Thursday night at Thompson Field in Graham Park.
UC – which won just three games last year with a squad made up mostly of 6th graders – has reversed its fortunes with a year of experience under its belt and outscored its opposition 73-19 so far this season.
Jack Theobald and Bryce Burnett doubled, and Theobold, Preston Creswell, and Will Kail scored two runs apiece in the Twisters’ latest victory Thursday.
Burnett and Jackson Huffstutter each had a pair of RBIs, and Union City scored 10 runs in the second inning to win for the third time this year via the mercy rule.
UC took advantage of eight walks and seven errors to make 10 of its runs unearned.
Brayden Marshall struck out nine and allowed just two runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings to earn the pitching win. Creswell fanned the final Ripley batter to close out the triumph.
The Tornadoes play at Halls today.
HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
UC 6, TCA 1 (Girls)
TCA 5, UC 2 (Boys)
The Lady Tornadoes continued their hot streak with their fourth straight match win to improve to 4-2.
Thursday’s triumph came against a perennially tough TCA program, sending the UC girls into this weekend’s USJ Invitational in Jackson on a high note.
Top seed Shelby Bondurant and No. 2 Dani Frankum won hard-fought singles matches by identical 8-5 counts, while No. 4 Molly Kizer and fifth seed Emma Mobbs cruised to triumphs, 8-1 and 8-3, respectively.
Bondurant and Kizer were tested at the No. 1 doubles spot by Tori Robinson and Bonnie Williams but prevailed 8-6. The Frankum sisters, Dani and Davey, won easily, 8-1.
The Union City boys (2-4) got singles wins from freshman Grant Sinclair (8-3) and a doubles triumph by the tandem of Sinclair and Kobe Kirk in their match with the Lions.
Bryce White, Lyndon Brown, and Byron Abbott all gave good efforts in 8-5 singles losses.
UC is scheduled to play both Friday and Saturday in the USJ event.
Girls
Union City 6-1
Singles
Shelby Bondurant vs. Tori Robinson 8-5
Dani Frankum vs. Bonnie Williamson 8-5
Davey Frankum vs. Shelby Kate Williamson 7-9
Molly Kizer vs. Mary Quinn 8-1
Emma Mobbs vs. Stella Barnett 8-3
Bertie Jenkins vs. Sarah Simmons 6-6 3-7 Tiebreak
Josie Ross vs. Abagail Quinn 6-3
Lexi Petty vs. Emma Orr 6-4
Doubles
Bondurant/Kizer vs. Robinson/Shelby Kate Williamson 8-6
Frankum/Frankum vs. Bonnie Williamson/Barnett 8-1
Mobbs/Jenkins vs. Orr/Annalise Treadway 8-4
Allie Vincent/Briley McKinney vs. Izzie Castle/Emma Smith 4-6
Boys
TCA 5-2
Singles
Bryce White vs. Reed Williamson 5-8
Lyndon Brown vs. William Allen 5-8
Kobe Kirk vs. Luke Maudin 4-8
Grant Sinclair vs. Sawyer Lee 8-3
Byron Abbott vs. Stone McAlexandar 5-8
Foster Rogers vs. Timothy Russ 8-1
Carter Pruitt vs. Jack Dearty 8-7
Jeremy Rice vs. Timothy Russ 8-1
Doubles
White/Brown vs. Williamson/Allen 4-8
Kirk/Sinclair vs. Maudin/Lee 8-3
Paul Martin Tohn/Jack Tully vs. McAlexander/Russ 8-4
HIGH SCHOOL TRACK
UC teams win at Huntingdon
Union City easily ran away from an 11-school field to win the Huntingdon Invitational in girls’ and boys’ competition.
The Lady Tornadoes (199 points) were far superior to runner-up Milan (58), while the UC boys outdistanced the host school 188-72.
Aujani Moss set a school record in winning the 100m for the Union City girls, clocked at 13.0. Jayla Turner won the 400m and Blair McKinnis took first place in the 800m.
Debrionna Jones won both the shot and discus, while Katana Bonds led the field in the long jump.
For the Tornado boys, Aiden Reid won the shot put, Tayshun Gentry took the triple jump, and Adrian Crawford claimed first place in the long jump. Kameron Shade easily crossed the finish line first in the 200m.
UC also won several relay races, a fact that pleased head coach Wade Maddox.
“We ran those races well and had good times,” Maddox claimed. “We’re still getting some kids involved, like our basketball kids, I’m pleased with how and where they’re fitting in.
“For it to be late March, I’m very pleased where we are with both programs.”
Union City will host a meet next Wednesday at Dave Shatz Track.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Jackson South Side 6, UC 5
Playing in honor of Union City Schools student Jayce Issacs while celebrating World Down Syndrome Day, the Tornadoes came up just short against JSS.
Issacs threw out the first pitch prior to the game and was designated as Union City’s MVP in the contest.
Kyler Southerland went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, and Luke Joslin doubled and singled for the Twisters (5-3). Troy Joslin had a hit and scored twice, while Barrett Cox and Skyler Hall had RBIs.
UC rallied from a 5-1 deficit to tie the game with three runs in the third and another in the sixth.
Ben Howell pitched into the seventh, throwing strikes on 59 of his 96 pitches. He struck out three Hawk batters while being tagged with the pitching loss after JSS chased home the deciding run on a single off Southerland, who came on in relief.
Union City will play at Dresden on Monday.