Having to win two games on Saturday after a come-from-behind loss on Friday night, Union softball coach Jacob Casey decided to roll the dice.
Casey turned to freshman pitcher Britli Cleveland on Saturday who was one hit away from a perfect game as the Lady Jackets beat Walnut 1-0 to force a game 3. Cleveland started Game 3 and went four innings as Union scored five runs in the seventh to take a 6-3 victory and win the series.
Casey was pleased at the performance of his sophomore pitcher.
“She’s been locked in here lately,” Casey said. “Yesterday she was outstanding. She had laser focus on the mound, mixed speeds well, and kept hitters of balance all day. She’s been dominate as of late.”
Union returned to action on Tuesday as they hosted Riverside in a 5 p.m. contest. Games 2 and 3 of the series will be at Riverside on Thursday, starting at 4 p.m.
Union 10, Walnut 0
The Lady Yellowjackets bounced back from a Game 1 loss with a shutout win.
Union scored two in the first, fourth and fifth innings with one in the third and three in the sixth.
Union had 14 hits in the contest as Mackenzie Dolan was 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs. Lilly Burton was 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three RBIs. Anna Grace Blount was 2-for-3 with two runs scored while Macy Lott was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Anna Rigdon was 2-for-4 with two RBIs while Abbie Jenkins scored two runs.
Britli Cleveland pitched 6 1/3 innings and gave up just one hit and struck out seven to pick up the win.
Union 6, Walnut 3
Union scored five runs in the top of the seventh to take the series from the homestanding Wildcats.
Union scored one in the first and Walnut tied the score with a run in the third.
Walnut went ahead with two runs in the sixth to go up 3-1. But Union responded with five runs in the seventh to take the win.
Union had just three hits as Dolan was 2-for-3 with a triple and three runs scored. Anna Grace Blount had a single and drove in two runs while DaShayla Jackson scored two runs.
Britli Cleveland got the start and pitched four innings, giving up one run on three hits while striking out three. Kayleigh Vance pitched 2/3 of an inning and gave up one hit while Anna Rigdon pitched 2 1/3 innings and gave up two runs on five hits.
Walnut 7, Union 4
Union jumped out to an early 3-0 lead but couldn’t put away Walnut as the Lady Wildcats rallied for six runs in the seventh inning to take a three-run win in Game 1 of the Class 2A North State playoff series.
Union’s Anna Rigdon pitched all seven innings for the Lady Jackets, giving up seven runs with only two of them being earned on 11 hits and one walk while striking out five.
Everything was going Union’s way early as they pushed across three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Rigdon led off the inning with a hard single and Little Burton followed with a single to move Rigdon to third. Ansley Rigby laid down a perfect bunt single that scored pinch runner Abbie Jenkins. East Central Community College signee Parker Breland followed with a sacrifice bunt scoring Burton. Anna Grace Blount then grounded out to drive in Rigby to give Union a 3-0 lead.
Walnut added one run in the top of the fifth to cut the score to 3-1 before the big six-run seventh inning that included five hits by the Lady Wildcats. Union scored one in the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate but the game ended on a called third strike.
Mackenzie Dolan, Rigdon and Burton each had two hits apiece while Rigdon had a double.
