Lady Panthers win game two to split with Vidalia
Sports, TeamFYNSports October 22, 2019
Miranda Lockaby sets to swing for Union County. Lockaby drove into runs for the Lady Panthers in the game two win.
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 swings at a pitch for the Lady Panthers. Patton went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a triple in Union County’s game two victory.
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.
Tori Tracy fires the ball for Union County’s softball squad.
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.
UCMS Lady Panthers beat White Co. to earn spot in championship
Sports, TeamFYNSports September 27, 2019
BLAIRSVILLE, GA – The UCMS Lady Panthers scored five runs through the first two innings and managed to fight off a surge late to take down White County, 6-4, Monday, Sept. 23, in the first round of postseason tournament play. With the win over the No. 3 Lady Warriors, the second-seeded Lady Panthers earned a spot in the conference championship game against the top-seeded Dragonettes from Pickens County.
The win against White County was the eighth in a row for the Panthers (17-2), who were led by Sierra Burnett and Georgia Patton at the plate.
Mikayla Souther fires the ball in from the outfield for the UCMS Lady Panthers. Souther had a hit and drove in a run in Union County’s 6-4 win against White Co. on Monday.
Burnett went 3-for-4 and drove in a run while Patton chipped in two hits as the only two Union County players with a multi-hit game.
Aubrie Akins, Layla Akins, and Makayla Souther drove in a run each.
After holding White County scoreless in the top of the first, the Union County bats went to work.
After Patton singled on a groundball to shortstop, Burnett smacked a flyball triple to right field. Patton scored one of her team-high three runs on the hit to give Union County the 1-0 lead.
After a pair of drawn walks and a stolen base, the Panthers had the bases loaded with one out.
Layla Akins drew a five-pitch walk, scoring Burnett, and moving the score to 2-0.
Souther then hit an RBI-groundout to first base, scoring Aubrie Akins for Union County’s last run of the inning.
Aubrie Akins stands ready at the plate for the UCMS Lady Panthers. Akins drove in a run, scored a run, and drew two walks in a 6-4 defeat of White Co. on Monday.
After a 1-2-3 inning on defense, the Panthers went back to work in bottom of the second. Patton drove a hard groundball into centerfield to earn a one-out double.
Burnett then singled to push Patton to third.
Patton and Burnett both scored due to back-to-back White County errors to give the Panthers the 5-0 lead heading into the third inning.
Union County added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Patton scored the last of her three runs thanks to a two-out sacrifice from Aubrie Akins to give the Panthers their final run of the game.
Trailing 6-0 heading into the top of the sixth, White County threatened. The visitors put four runs on the board and could have tied the game.
With two outs and two on base a five-pitch strikeout managed to get Union County out of the inning without further damage.
The 6-4 win earned Union County a spot in the championship game later the same day against Pickens County.
Bragg’s walk-off in the seventh gives UCMS softball the win
Featured Stories, Sports, TeamFYNSports September 20, 2019
BLAIRSVILLE, GA – A walk-off hit from Ila Bragg in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Union County Middle softball team an 8-6 victory against Pickens County on Thursday, Sept. 19, in Blairsville, to wrap up the regular-season schedule.
With the score tied at six each and the Lady Panthers (16-2) down to their last out, Bragg stepped to the plate with two runners on base.
Facing a full count, Bragg delivered, smacking a triple to right field and driving in Aubrie Akins and Addison Kennedy to give Union County the victory.
The Lady Panthers trailed 6-5 heading into the bottom of the final inning. With the possibility of suffering just their third loss of the season becoming a reality, the team went to work.
Sloan Dyer heads to first base after knocking a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning Thursday.
With two outs already in the inning, Sloan Dyer worked the count to earn and walk and put the tying run on first base.
Akins was then hit by a pitch, putting the game-winning run on first base and moving Dyer to second.
During the next at-bat, Kennedy hit a fly ball to left field that looked like it might end the game. But an error by the Pickens County left fielder allowed Kennedy to reach base and Dyer to score to tie the game at 6-6 and set up Bragg for the walk-off hit.
Bragg finished the game 1-for-3 with two RBIs, a walk, a triple, and a stolen base.
Dyer and Sierra Burnett were the only two Lady Panthers players with more than one hit with two apiece.
Dyer went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two runs scored, and a two-run home run.
Sierra Burnett stands in the circle for the UCMS softball team against Pickens County. Burnett threw a complete game in the team’s victory.
Dyer’s home run happened in the bottom of the first inning to give the Lady Panthers their first runs of the game and pull the team within one, trailing 3-2.
Burnett was 2-for-2 on the night, scoring three runs and drawing two walks.
She also threw a complete game from the circle, surrendering eight hits, six runs – three earned – and striking out five while walking two.
Aubrie Akins finished the night with a run scored and an RBI, while Layla Akins added a walk on a 1-for-2 performance.
Kennedy ended the night with a run and walk for the Lady Panthers, who will host all three rounds of the postseason tournament at Meeks Park beginning Tuesday, Sept. 24, and lasting until Friday, Sept 26, in Blairsville.
Lady Panthers from UCMS finish season as conference runner-up
Sports, TeamFYNSports September 28, 2019
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.
Union County softball wins last regular season home game
Sports, TeamFYNSports September 20, 2019
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.
Lexi Sisum stands at the plate for the Lady Panthers. Sisum finished the game 2-for-3.
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.
Rebekah Kelly steps into a pitch for the Lady Panthers.
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.
Lady Panthers softball earns state playoff bid
Sports, TeamFYNSports September 20, 2019
BLAIRSVILLE, GA – The Lady Panthers are headed to the Class AA state playoffs.
After taking down Region 8-AA opponent Rabun County, 3-2, Tuesday, Sept. 17, in Blairsville, the Union County varsity softball team earned the No. 2 seed from the region heading into the postseason.
The Lady Panthers (10-10, 6-1) will face the No. 3 seed from Region 5-AA
Senior Megan Bright earned the win from the circle. She threw six innings, giving up four hits and two runs – one earned – while striking out three.
Rebekah Kelley steps forward into a pitch for the Union County varsity softball squad.
Union County got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning.
After a 1-2-3 inning from Bright in the circle, the combination of Mary Wischmeyer and Lexi Sisum went to work for the Lady Panthers. The combination of the two players at the plate provided the first of two big innings.
Wischmeyer started the inning with a single to left field, and she followed that by stealing second base.
Sisum stepped to the plate and slammed an 0-1 home run over the right-field wall, driving in Sisum and giving the Lady Panthers the 2-0 lead.
After back-to-back, 1-2-3 innings from Bright, Wischmeyer and Sisum went to work again in the bottom of the third.
Facing a 1-2 count with one out in the inning, Wischmeyer hit a hard groundball to the Rabun County shortstop, who fumbled the ball.
Krysten Hodges waits to swing for the Lady Panthers softball team.
The error eventually allowed Wischmeyer to end up at third base.
Sisum, with an 0-1 count, then drove a triple into centerfield, scoring Wischmeyer.
Sisum was caught at home plate trying to stretch the triple into an inside-the-park home run.
The damage was done, however, as Union County took a 3-0 lead.
The visiting Lady Wildcats managed runs in the top of the fifth and sixth frames, but it wasn’t enough as the home team Lady Panthers dug deep and preserved the win.
Trinity Queen came on to pitch the seventh inning. She got one batter to ground out and struck out two more to earn the save for Union County.
The Lady Panthers earned their second-straight trip to the state playoffs with the win.