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.
UCMS softball team wins big in Cleveland
Featured Stories, Sports, TeamFYNSports September 20, 2019
CLEVELAND, GA – A stellar all-around performance from the UCMS softball team led to a 20-6 victory over White County on Tuesday, Sept. 27, in Cleveland.
The Lady Panthers’ victory was their sixth in a row and moved their season record to 15-2.
Sierra Burnett led the way from the circle, throwing all the innings in a five-inning, mercy-rule game. She scattered six hits, two runs – one earned – and struck out six while walking just two.
Makayla Souther comes in to back up third base from her position in left field for the UCMS softball team.
From the plate, Burnett went 3-for-4 on the day with three RBIs, four runs scored, a triple, a double, a stolen base, and a walk.
Georgia Patton also had a big day at the plate. She drove in two runs and scored four runs on a 4-for-5 day, adding two doubles and a triple.
Aubrie Akins led the team with four RBIs after going 4-for-5 at the plate and scoring three runs.
Ila Bragg also had a triple and two stolen bases while going 3-for-4 and driving in three runs.
MaKayla Souther drove in two runs, going 2-for-4 with a run scored, a double, and a stolen base.
Sloan Dyer put up a 3-for-5 day with two runs scored and a stolen base.
Rounding out the multi-hit games was Addison Kennedy, who scored two runs on two hits.
Layla Akins drove in a run and scored a run, while Jewel Massey walked twice, scored a run, and stole a base.
The UCMS Lady Panthers win their 14th game of the season
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UC Middle September 16, 2019
BLAIRSVILLE, GA – Anchored by another strong performance from Sierra Burnett in the circle, the UCMS Lady Panthers softball team defeating visiting Dawson County, 10-0, in five innings Thursday, Sept. 12.
The win was the 14th on the season for Union County.
Burnett three all five innings, giving up just two hits, while striking out six, to earn the win.
She also went 1-for-3 with two runs scored, two runs drive in, a walk and a triple.
Burnett’s triple came in the bottom of the third inning. With Union County leading 6-0 and two runners on base, Burnett drove a ground ball into left field, scoring both Jewell Massey and Georgia Patton, and putting UCMS up 8-0.
Sloan Dyer’s sacrifice back to the pitcher drove Burnett in, pushing the score to 9-0 at the end of the third.
After Burnett kept the Lady Tigers scoreless again in the top of the fourth, Union County used a pair of defensive errors to take a 10-0 lead heading into the top of the fifth.
Burnett issued just her second walk of the night with one out in the top of the fifth, but got the remaining batters to strike out and ground out to earn the five-inning victory.
The victory moved Union County to a 14-2 record with two games left to play in the regular season.
Union County visits White County on Tuesday, Sept. 17, in Cleveland, before closing out the schedule Sept. 19 against Pickens County in Blairsville.
The UCMS Lady Panthers will play in their postseason tournament Sept. 24-26. The first round will take place at the higher seed Sept. 24, with the second round and championship to take place Sept. 25 and 26 at Meeks Park in Blairsville.
Gilmer softball falls to the UCMS Lady Panthers in Ellijay
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UC Middle September 15, 2019
ELLIJAY, GA – The UCMS Lady Panthers softball team’s combination of Sierra Burnett and Sloan Dyer proved too much for the home team Gilmer County Lady Bobcats softball team Tuesday, Sept. 10, as the visitors went home with a 15-1, five-inning win.
The victory was the 13th on the season for Union County.
Burnett threw a four-inning, no-hitter, giving up one unearned run in the bottom of the third, while going 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs driven on a first-inning, inside-the-park homerun.
For her park, Dyer went 3-for-4 on the night, netting two runs scored, two doubles, and six RBIs after an inside-the-park grand slam put the Lady Panthers on top 10-1 in the top of the fourth.
Jewell Massey chipped in two RBIs, a double, three stolen bases, and a walk on a 1-for-2 night at the plate.
While the game was tense through the first three innings, an explosion at the plate as the Lady Panthers put 10 runs on the board to move ahead 12-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Burnett stayed solid, striking out the side and giving her team the opponent to score three runs and put the mercy-rule into effect.
After Massey walked to lead off the top of the fifth, she stole second base during Georgia Patton’s at bat, and then scored when Patton reached on a third-strike, passed ball.
Two wild pitches, a walk, and a stolen base later, and Patton stood at third base and Illa Bragg stood at second base.
Dyer stepped to the plate and smacked a ground ball to third, driving in Patton and Bragg and putting the game out of reach.
UCMS Lady Panthers softball rolls over Towns County on the road
Sports, TeamFYNSports, UC Middle September 15, 2019
HIAWASSEE, GA – The Union County Middle School softball squad continued to roll Monday, Sept. 9, on the road against Towns County. The UCMS Lady Panthers brought a four-inning, 25-9 victory back to Blairsville, to push their record to 12-2 on the 2019 season.
Union County jumped out quickly to an 8-0 lead in top of the first inning and never looked back.
After the first two batters of the inning were hit by pitches, an Ila Bragg bunt led to a defensive error, allowing Georgia Patton to score the first of her three runs and give Union County a lead they never gave up.
Another hit-by-pitch and defensive error let Sierra Burnett cross the plate for the first of her two runs scored and push the lead 2-0.
Aubrie Akins then singled to left, driving in Bragg. Akins finished the night 2-for-2 with three runs scored, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base.
Later in the inning, with the UCMS Lady Panthers leading 5-0, Patton blew the game open on the first pitch of her at-bat. With two runners on base, Patton pulled on a pitch, driving the ball into left field and scoring both runners.
The Lady Panthers led 7-0 at that point, and the route was on.
A single from Sierra Burnett drove in Patton, and Union County led 8-0 at the end of the first.
Union County continued to work the bases from there, gaining an 11-0 lead in the top of the second.
With the bases loaded, Burnett smacked a ball to left field. She ended up with an inside-the-park grand slam, and the Lady Panthers ended up with a 15-0 lead.
Burnett finished the night 2-for-2 at the plate, with five runs batted in, a grand slam, and a stolen base. Patton went 1-for-2 with three runs driven and a triple.
Ayla Stepp accounted for three RBIs and a triple, Makayla Souther finished the night with three RBIs, two runs scored, a stolen base, and a walk.
Jewell Massey also added three RBIs, while accounting for three runs scored off of three earned walks.