BLAIRSVILLE, GA – After earning a win to get into the conference championship game Monday, Sept. 23, the UCMS Lady Panthers fell 12-4 to Pickens County to finish the as the conference runner-up.

Sloane Dyer works from the circle for the UCMS Lady Panthers softball squad.

No. 2 Union County (17-3) scored in three innings of the five-inning contest, but couldn’t overcome the hot bats of top-seeded Pickens County, who managed nine hits on the day.

Leadoff batter Georgia Patton drove the fourth pitch she saw deep into leftfield for a triple. She then scored on a sacrifice fly from Sierra Burnett to give Union County the 1-0 lead.

Pickens County took a 3-1 lead in the bottom frame of the inning and would hold the lead for the remainder of the game.

Addison Kennedy drew a six-pitch walk to start the second inning. She advanced to second base on a sacrifice from Ila Bragg, before making it to third on a passed ball.

A flyball single to left field from Layla Akins drove in Kennedy for Union County’s only run of the inning.

The Dragonettes scored twice in both the bottom of the second and third to go up 7-2.

Ila Bragg fires a pitch for the UCMS Lady Panthers softball team.

With the score holding, Union County headed into the top of the fifth down five runs.

The Lady Panthers managed to score twice in the inning, bringing the score to 7-4 and within reach.

After being hit by a pitch to start the inning, Akins advanced to second on a passed ball, and then to third on a sacrifice from Jewell Massey.

Patton followed with a line-drive single to left field, driving in Akins. Burnett followed with a hard groundball double to left field, scoring Patton and pulling the Lady Panthers within three runs at 7-4 before the end of the inning.

Pickens County would not be denied in the bottom of the fifth, putting up five runs to earn the five-inning, mercy-rule win and the postseason championship.

Patton finished as the only Union County player with more than one hit, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Burnett had a team-high two RBIs.

Akins, Makayla Souther, and Kennedy all added hits in the game.

With the loss, the UCMS Lady Panthers’ season is now at an end.

Click here to read a recap of the first playoff game.