Photo courtesy of Union County Schools
By: Mike Hutchens, Union City Communications Director
A pair of lopsided District 14A baseball blowouts extended Union City’s hot streak on Monday.
The Tornadoes ran their winning streak to six after whipping Lake County 18-0 and 21-0 at Elam Stadium.
UC is now 6-1 in league play and 11-6 overall after outclassing the Falcons in a pair of mercy-rule contests that were halted after three innings.
The Twisters scored eight times in the first and 10 runs in the second inning of the opener.
Troy Joslin and Tucker Davis each drove in two runs, while Joslin, Kyler Southerland, Logan Dawkins, Kirben Thompson, and Copeland Chism scored twice in Union City’s Game 1 onslaught. Barrett Cox and Hayden Toon cracked doubles.
Cox improved to 4-1 with the pitching win, allowing just one hit, one walk, and three baserunners. He struck out four LC batters and threw 33 of 50 pitches for strikes.
The nightcap was more of the same as UC erupted for 14 first-inning runs and then tacked on seven more in the second.
Skyler Hall doubled, singled, and drove in three runs, while Dawkins scored three times and had a pair of RBIs. Davis chased home a pair of runs with two singles, Troy Joslin went 2-for-2 with a double, and Harrison Gray had two RBIs.
Southerland and Luke Joslin stroked doubles.
Troy Joslin recorded eight of nine outs via strikeout, allowing only a single in bettering his pitching mark to 3-1.
Union City is scheduled to play at Dresden in a make-up game Wednesday.
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
UC 9, Ripley 7
The Lady Tornadoes capitalized on six Ripley errors – the last two of which allowed UC to score the tying and winning runs in the sixth inning.
Union City (5-9) avenged an earlier 7-3 loss to the Lady Tigers and broke a four-game losing skid with the victory.
Marlee Theobald evened the count at 7-all after crossing the plate, and Clare Atwill came in on another Ripley misplay to put the Twister girls ahead with the fourth lead change of the contest. Kylie Mayes knocked in an insurance run to account for the final score.
Emmaline Qualls went 3-for-4 with two runs scored to pace Union City. Theobald had a double and drove in four runs, and winning pitcher Addison Carr helped her cause with a pair of singles and two RBIs. Annalece Morton reached base three times via single and two walks.
Carr went the distance in the circle to get the victory.
UC is scheduled to host Dresden today at 5 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
UC 7, Greenfield 0 (Girls)
The Lady Twisters, fresh off a solid showing in the 13th annual Oakland Invitational in Murfreesboro over the weekend, completed a District 14A season sweep of Greenfield.
Union City lost just four games in seven matches to improve to 9-3 this spring.
Twins Dani and Davey Frankum, along with Emma Mobbs, recorded 8-0 shutouts in singles play. The Frankum sisters also cruised to an 8-0 win on the doubles side.
The Tornado girls also won each of the eight jayvee matches in convincing fashion.
Union City 7, Greenfield 0
Singles
Shelby Bondurant vs. Ginny Archie 8-1
Molly Kizer vs. Caroline Bodkins 8-1
Dani Frankum vs. Caroline Warren 8-0
Davey Frankum vs. Audrey Arnold 8-0
Emma Mobbs vs. Addisen Cooper 8-0
Bertie Jenkins vs. Annaliya Shepherd 8-1
Josie Ross vs. Addisyn Totty 8-0
Lexi Petty vs. Ava Spikes 8-0
Allie Vincent vs. Ellie Pitt 8-0
Briley McKinney vs. Rylan Christopher 8-1
Doubles
Bondurant/Kizer vs. Archie/Bodkins 8-2
Frankum/Frankum vs. Warren/Cooper 8-0
Mobbs/Jenkins vs Arnold/Shepherd 8-1
Petty/Ross vs. Spikes/Totty 8-0
Vincent/McKinney vs. Pitt/Christopher 8-1
UC placed third among 12 teams in the Oakland event, which was played under a unique format that essentially turned into an individual tournament with team points awarded for each individual win.
The Lady Twisters trailed only Tennessee High and Collierville in the final team standings and beat seven other teams from Tennessee, one from Alabama, and another from Kentucky.
Final won/loss totals in individual play for Union City were as follows:
Singles
Shelby Bondurant 2-2
Molly Kizer 2-2
Dani Frankum 2-2
Davey Frankum 2-2
Emma Mobbs 3-0
Bertie Jenkins 3-1
Allie Vincent 0-1
Doubles
Kizer/Bondurant 3-1
Frankum/Frankum 2-2
Jenkins/Mobbs (Vincent) 2-2
Union City is scheduled to play at TCA in Jackson today.
MIDDLE SCHOOL BASEBALL
Gibson Co. 7-8, UC 5-3
Union City fell in both ends of a doubleheader and is now 8-4.
Japeth Caldwell went 2-for-3 with a ribbie for the Tornadoes in Game 1. Preston Creswell had UC’s only other hit and scored two runs. Brody Fields, Grady Gurley, and Caden LeCornu tallied the Twisters’ other runs, while Jack Theobald had an RBI.
Brayden Marshall went the first three innings and was saddled with the pitching loss.
In Game 2, the Pioneers scored in every inning while Union City pushed across all of its runs in its final at-bat.
Theobald and Caldwell had RBIs for the Tornadoes, while Marshall and Creswell had hits and scored runs.
Caldwell was the losing pitcher, with Jack Vallee coming on in relief.
Weather permitting, UC will host Obion County today for a doubleheader.
MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER
Henry Co. 6, UC 1
Union City got a second-half goal from Jeremy Martinez to break into the scoring column.
The Tornadoes recorded five shots on goal, with Jose Pastor and Wrigley Harder attempting two apiece.
Michael Vallee stopped two shots in goal for UC.
The Twisters play at McKenzie today.
