VIDALIA, GA – With a gutsy win in game two of their second-round playoff doubleheader at Vidalia on Oct 16, the Union County Lady Panthers forced game three and extended their postseason life for at least one more day.

Union County (16-14), the No. 2 seed from Region 8-AA fought well against the Region 2-AA champs.

After dropping the first game 9-1, the Lady Panthers came back to win a tight, 5-4, game to even the series and force a decisive game three the next day.

GAME TWO

After being dominated from the circle by Vidalia starting pitcher Madison Starr in game one, the Lady Panthers rebounded to keep pace with the home team in the second game.

After holding Vidalia scoreless in the top of the first two innings, Union County took a 3-0 lead at the end of the second after scoring once in the first and twice in the second.

The game was back-and-forth from there, with Vidalia scoring twice in both the top of the third and top of the fourth to take a 4-3 lead.

Trailing by one in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Union County bats went to work.

Hannah Patton reached base thanks to a one-out triple to put the tying run on base. She was driven in on the next at-bat as Miranda Lockaby managed to reach base on an error. Patton’s run tied the game at 4-4 with just one out in the inning.

After an out allowed Lockaby to come all the way around the third base, Trinity Queen stepped to the plate.

Queen bashed a fly-ball single to centerfield, scoring Lockaby and putting the Lady Panthers up 5-4.

Queen’s RBI turned out to the be the game winner as Union County managed to blank Vidalia in the tops of the sixth and seventh innings to earn the win and force a third game.

Emma Roxbury finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Lockaby added to RBIs and a run scored.

Senior Mary Wischmeyer and Queen each added an RBI and stolen base for the Lady Panthers.

Rebekah Helley was the only other Union County player with a multi-hit game, going 2-for-2 with a run scored and a stolen base.

GAME ONE

Union County struggled at the plate against Starr. The Panthers didn’t manage to get on the scoreboard until the top of the sixth inning, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the six-inning, mercy-rule loss.

Trailing 6-1 to start the sixth, Union County’s first run of the game came on an inside-the-park homerun courtesy of Lexi Sisum.

After battling Starr to earn a full count with no one on base, Sisum drove the ball deep into centerfield.

The one-out drive allowed Sisum to turn on the jets and make it all the way around the bases to give the Lady Panthers their only run of the game.

Sisum finished 1-for-3 with a run score, a run batted in, and a home run.

Emma Roxbury was the only other Union County player with a hit. She finished 1-for-3 with a stolen base.