BLAIRSVILLE, GA – After a rocky first inning, the Union County softball team settled in to earn a hard-fought, 4-3 victory against Gilmer County during Senior Night on Wednesday, Sept. 18, in Blairsville.

The visiting Lady Bobcats scored three times in the top of the first inning, but were shut down from the rest of the game by pitcher Trinity Queen, who tossed a complete game.

Queen struck out seven while giving up seven hits and three runs – one earned – to get the win from the circle.

Union County (10-11, 6-1 Region 8-AA) scored twice in the bottom of the first frame, and twice more in the bottom of the third, to earn the non-region win. The Union County softball squad finished the regular season 5-3 at home.

During the first inning, Gilmer County benefitted from a batter hit by a pitch, an error, a two-RBI double, and an RBI groundout to take an early 3-0 lead.

The Lady Panthers responded quickly in the bottom of the first. With a 1-0 count, Mary Wischmeyer blasted a solo home run over the centerfield wall to draw the home team within two runs at 3-1.

The next batter, Lexi Sisum, doubled while facing a 1-2 count. Two outs later, Sisum was driven home by a double from Emma Roxbury, closing the gap to 3-2 at the end of the inning.

Queen settled from then on in the circle, scattering five more hits through the course of the game on the way to earning the win.

The final two runs of the game were scored in the bottom of the third inning.

Wischmeyer smacked a hard groundball to the Gilmer County shortstop, who fumbled the play, and reached second base on the error to put the tying run on base with no outs.

Sisum, the very next batter, drove an 0-2 pitch into left field, scoring Wischmeyer and evening the score at three each.

Sisum scored the final run of the game that inning to give Union County the win. After advancing to third base on a passed ball during Patton’s at-bat, Sisum scored as Patton dropped a bunt to the catcher. The squeeze play worked, and Union County took the lead for good at 4-3.

Sisum finished the night 2-for-3 with an RBI, two runs scored, and two doubles.

Wischmeyer finished 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a solo homerun.

Patton and Roxbury both added an RBI in the win for the Lady Panthers, who play East Hall Monday, Sept. 23, in Blairsville, for their last regular-season game.

First pitch is scheduled for 5:55 p.m.

Union County has already secured the No. 2 seed from Region 8-AA heading into the state playoffs, which are set to begin Wednesday, Sept. 25. The Lady Panthers are set to host the No. 3 seed from Region 5-AA for a best-of-three playoff series, but an opponent has not yet been determined.