By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Sweeps by the Union City High School baseball team and the UC Middle School tennis squads highlighted Monday’s spring sports scoreboard for Tornado entries.
The Middle School baseball and UCHS tennis teams split contests, while the Lady Tornado softball team came up short at Halls.
The following is a recap:
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
UC 15-16, Gleason 0-0
The Tornadoes dominated visiting Gleason in a 13A district doubleheader, improving to 8-8-1 overall and 6-1 in league play.
Both games against the Bulldogs Monday were halted due to the mercy rule.
UC put up a six-spot in the first inning of the opener, then jumped to a 4-0 lead in Game 2 in rolling to easy wins.
Kyler Southerland doubled twice and drove in five runs to lead the Purple and Gold onslaught in Game 1. Both Chase Norton and Gabriel Qualls went 2-for-3, with Qualls knocking in three and Norton scoring two and accounting for a couple of RBI.
Mason Reed had two ribbies and Carter Watts and Gunnar Cheatham scored two times apiece.
Dalton Bone improved to 4-1, striking out eight and allowing just two singles and a walk in four innings.
In the nightcap, Gleason made things easy for Union City with six errors and eight walks that led to nine unearned runs.
Cheatham and Austin Brundige were credited with three RBI and Southerland accounted for two. Brundige and Barrett Cox scored three times each.
Reed and Landon Hauhe combined for six strikeouts in three innings with Reed notching his fourth win in five decisions.
Union City will host Peabody at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
MIDDLE SCHOOL BASEBALL
UC 5-7, Trenton 2-8
Union City rallied for a Game 1 win, but saw the Bears turn the tables in the nightcap in a twinbill split.
Logan Vincent and Tucker Davis both went 2-for-3 in the opener, Vincent scoring twice and Davis driving in a run for the Tornadoes. Jack Harris had a big two-run hit and UC got solid pitching from both Ben Kail and Vincent to win for the 10th time this spring.
Harris fanned six in three innings while surrendering just one earned run, while Vincent got credit for the victory with two frames of shutout relief.
Trenton answered with a five-run fifth to rally from behind and take Game 2.
Finn Frankum went 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI, Harris had two more hits and Copeland Chism doubled and drove in a run for the Twisters. Union City outhit Trenton 8-5, but the Bears scored six unearned runs.
Harris was tagged with the tough luck pitching defeat, despite not giving up an earned run in relief. Logan Dawkins started, and was followed by Chism on the hill.
UC (10-7) is scheduled to play at USJ on Wednesday.
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
Halls 5, UC 2
A three-run Halls first inning proved to be too much for the Lady Tornadoes to overcome.
Four of the five Lady Tigers’ runs were unearned due to three UC errors.
Anna Lynn Cheatham had a big day at the dish for Union City with a solo home run and two singles, accounting for both Twister runs.
Kaitlyn Lamb went 2-for-3.
The first of three Lady Tornado pitchers, Cheatham was charged with the loss. She struck out four in three innings and gave up just one earned run.
UC is now 7-5 heading into today’s make-up game at Lake County.
MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS
UC rolls over USJ
The Lady Tornadoes claimed the top five singles matches and won every doubles match to roll to another team victory.
Jamie Becton, Lexi Petty, Bertie Jenkins, Davey Frankum and Emma Mobbs all were winners in both singles and doubles play for the Lady Tornadoes.
On the boys’ side, top seed Ben Wade rolled to another easy singles triumph.
Kobe Kirk won in singles, then teamed with Landon McAdams to win in doubles. A singles victory by Tolar Armstrong tipped the match’s favor toward UC.
The Tornado teams are slated to host Crockett County today at 4.
Girls Singles
Lexi Petty 6-1
Davey Frankum 6-1
Bertie Jenkins 6-1
Jamie Becton 6-2
Emma Mobbs 6-2
Josie Ross 3-6 (L)
Addy Rice 6-3
Mary Kate Sinclair 3-6 (L)
Emma Allen 1-6 (L)
Girls Doubles
Jamie Becton & Lexi Petty 6-4
Davey Frankum & Bertie Jenkins 6-1
Emma Mobbs & Josie Ross 6-4
Addy Rice & Mary Kate Sinclair 6-2
Boys Singles
Ben Wade 6-0
Kobe Kirk 6-2
Landon McAdams 0-6 (L)
Jeremy Rice 2-5 (L)
Tolar Armstrong 6-2
Boys Doubles
Landon McAdams & Kobe Kirk 6-3
Logan Barker & Foster Rodgers 1-6 (L)
HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS
UC 5, Peabody 2 (G)
Peabody 5, UC 2 (B)
The Tornado squads split at Trenton, the girls improving to 7-3 and the boys falling to 2-3.
The UC girls played without their top three singles seeds yet showcased their quality depth by winning anyway.
Head coach Tom Sisco said his top players worked on their individual skills at a practice session instead.
Mimi Jenkins and Kate Schlager both won twice to lead the Twister girls.
In the boys’ match, Kobe Terrell and Eli Ervin teamed to win in doubles, while Alex De-Castillo claimed a singles triumph for the Tornadoes.
Union City will play at Mayfield today.
Girls Singles
Erin Gill vs. Josi Greene 2-8
Molly Kizer vs. Cathryn Lane 4-8
Mimi Jenkins vs. Adrianna Skinner 8-5
Kate Schlager vs. Brodie McDaniel 8-2
Emily Fields vs. Jenel Bodkins 8-0
Allie Tucker vs. Autumn Hinson 6-0
Doubles
Kizer/Jenkins vs Greene/Lane 9-7 Tiebreak
Schlager/Tucker vs Skinner/McDaniel 8-4
Madison Adams/Madeline Underwood vs Haylee Juy/ Kimberly McKenzie 6-0
Boys Singles
Kobe Terrell vs. Corey Moore 3-8
Eli Ervin vs. Zach Taylor 2-8
Charleton Wisener v.s Parker Vernon 6-8
Owen Rogers vs. Christian Doss 7-9
Alex De-Castillo vs. Ladavion Phetsouphanh 8-2
Bryce White vs. Isaac Dehaan 1-6
Doubles
Rogers/Wisener vs. Moore/Vernon 1-8
Terrell/Ervin vs. Taylor/Doss 8-1
Gavin Pledge/Jack Tully vs. Aerik Hollingsworth/Derek Kee 4-7 Tiebreak