Published: April 02, 2008 05:20 pm            

Union Lady Jackets take 3 out of 4

NEWTON — The Union Lady Jackets were on the verge of recording their biggest week of the 2008 fastpitch season before letting the big one get away.

The Lady Jackets defeated Philadelphia (15-0), Morton (20-9), and Southeast Lauderdale (5-3) before closing out the week with an 8-5 loss at Newton County. Union led the Lady Cougars 5-0.

Union entered this week with a 14-3 overall record and a 2-0 Division 5-2A mark.

In this week’s action, Union was scheduled to host St. Andrew’s on Tuesday and Forest on Thursday before playing three games in a tournament at Meridian’s Northeast Park on Saturday. Newton comes to town for a division doubleheader on April 8.



Union 15

Philadelphia 0

The Lady Jackets used a 10-run second inning to rip Philadelphia in just three innings on March 25 at Union.

Shelby Smith and Brandi Covington combined on a one-hit shutout as Union improved to 12-2 overall and 2-0 in Division 5-2A. Smith (6-1) tossed the first two frames, allowing one hit while striking out four. Covington walked two and struck out two in one inning of relief.

Union had nine hits with Hayley Stephens driving in four runs with a single, a double, and a triple. Summer Richardson also had four RBI with a single and a double. Jamie Vance had a single and a triple. Paige Holsen and Ashley Walker both had a single. Smith had two RBI.

Lajoya Griffin led off the game with a single for Philadelphia’s only hit.

Sarah Mars took the loss.



Union 20

Morton 9

Trailing 6-3 through four innings, the Lady Jackets erupted for five runs in the top of the fifth and added nine more in the sixth in Thursday’s blowout at Morton.

Union racked up 20 hits in improving to 13-2. Kayla Bates had three singles and four RBI. Shelby Smith had a single, a double, and a triple to plate a pair of runs. Hayley Stephens had two RBI with a pair of singles and a triple.

Yancey Tillman and Ashley Walker both had three singles. Jamie Vance had two singles and two RBI. Summer Richardson had a pair of singles. Bailee Viverette had one single.

Morgan Whitlock (7-1) tossed the first five innings to get the win. She struck out six and walked four. Whitlock allowed five hits.

Smith tossed the final two frames, allowing three runs on three walks and one hit. She fanned five.

Taylor Hughes took the loss.

Emily Watford had a triple and two RBI for Morton. Erin Jones had a pair of singles.



SE Lauderdale 5

Union 3

Union scored three runs in the top of the third inning to take a 4-1 lead in Friday’s win at Vimville. The big hit in the inning was a two-run single by Kayla Bates.

Shelby Smith and Morgan Whitlock combined on a five-hitter as Union improved to 14-2 by knocking off the Division 5-3A leading Lady Tigers.

Smith (7-1) allowed three runs in four innings. She gave up four hits and two walks while striking out six. Whitlock allowed one hit and no runs or walks in two innings. She fanned four.

Union had six hits with Bailee Viverette getting a pair of singles. Yancey Tillman, Paige Holsen, and Summer Richardson had one single each.

Lainie Simcox tripled for Southeast, 13-5.

Shelby Sheppard took the loss.



Newton County 8

Union 5

The Lady Jackets let a 5-0 lead slip away Saturday afternoon at Decatur.

Newton County put up four runs in both the fifth and sixth frames to claim the comeback victory.

Union had 11 hits with Yancey Tillman, Kayla Bates, Paige Holsen, and Bailee Viverette each getting a pair of singles. Ashley Walker had a single and a triple. Summer Richardson had a single.

Shelby Smith (7-2) took the loss in relief, allowing four runs on three hits in 1 1/3 innings. Starter Morgan Whitlock breezed through the first four frames before giving up four runs in the fifth. She allowed eight hits while striking out five.

Kasie Buckley had two singles and a double to drive in three runs in leading Newton County, 13-5. Brittney Cochran had two RBI with a single, a double, and a triple.

Buckley (11-2) went the distance in getting the win. She struck out five with two walks.

        

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