By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Not even Mother Nature could keep the Union City girls’ tennis team from securing another district championship.
The Lady Tornadoes won their fifth consecutive district title and 27th in program history Thursday by taking all five hard-fought singles matches against Obion County Central before rain suspended doubles play.
The final score will officially be determined today when two doubles matches are played at the Fairgrounds courts, though UC is already assured of the team victory – its 14th of the season against just three losses.
Union City trails OC 3-2 in boys’ play, with the two doubles matches set to resume today at 4 p.m. with the Rebels up 4-3 in both matches.
Thursday featured highly competitive matches and thrilling finishes – best illustrated by Davey Frankum and Emma Mobbs posting tie-breaker wins at the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds for the Lady Tornadoes.
Frankum rallied to beat Hannah Strauser 8-6, while Mobbs topped Emma Heathcott 7-2 after both matches were even at 8-all.
Dani Frankum gutted out an 8-6 victory over Hannah Taylor at the No. 3 seed, while Molly Kizer was strong in an 8-4 triumph against Taylor Warren.
Top seed Shelby Bondurant won her first three games against Elizabeth Warren and went on to an 8-2 win.
UC remained alive in boys’ play with gritty victories by Grant Sinclair (9-7) and Foster Rodgers (8-5) at the four and five seeds.
After today, the Tornadoes will wind up their regular seasons with matches against Westview and Paducah Tilghman next week.
Girls
UC leads 5-0
Singles
Shelby Bondurant vs. Elizabeth Woody 8-2
Molly Kizer vs. Taylor Warren 8-4
Dani Frankum vs. Hannah Taylor 8-6
Davey Frankum vs. Hannah Strauser 9-8 (8-6 Tiebreak)
Emma Mobbs vs. Emma Heathcott 9-8 (7-2 Tiebreak)
Boys
OC leads 3-2
Singles
Bryce White vs. Olin Johnson 0-8
Lyndon Brown vs. Kilo Rodriquez 3-8
Kobe Kirk vs. Braden Elam 0-8
Grant Sinclair vs. Sam Cunningham 9-7
Foster Rodgers vs. AJ Gammons 8-5
Byron Abbott vs. Ezra Guiren 8-0
Doubles
White/Brown vs. Johnson/Rodriquez 3-4 match stopped due to rain
Kirk/Sinclair vs. Elam/Cunningham 3-4 match stopped due to rain
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
UC 12, South Fulton 8
Down 8-2 entering the fifth, the Lady Tornadoes exploded for 10 runs in their final three at-bats to rally for their fifth straight win.
UC scored four times in the fifth inning to get within 8-6, then plated four more runs in the sixth to take a 10-8 lead.
Addison Carr had a huge game at the plate with four hits, two runs and two RBIs. Marlee Theobald doubled twice in a 3-for-5 effort, with four runs scored. Both Maddie Smith and Clare Atwill went 2-for-5, with Smith smacking a triple and Atwill stroking a double and scoring three runs.
Madie Theobald doubled and chased home a pair of runs for the victors, who improved to 8-1 in District 14A play and 10-11 overall in sweeping the season series from the Lady Red Devils (11-5, 5-4).
Smith was the winning pitcher with 3 2/3 innings of two-hit relief in which she allowed one unearned run.
Union City plays at league-leading Dresden today.
HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER
UC 1, Ripley 1 (tie)
The Twisters (6-2-3) battled visiting Ripley to a deadlock on Senior Night.
Angel Martinez, Cohen Robinson, Ka’Jaylon Bell, Joseph Lattus, Corban Avery, James Scates, and Jayce Rogers were recognized in pre-match ceremonies.
Silverio Acevedo accounted for Union City’s lone goal, scoring off an assist from Lattus.
The Tornadoes attempted 14 shots on goal and 23 in all.
Rogers recorded eight saves.
“I’m very proud of how we played in the (wet) conditions,” UC head coach Travis VanHooser said afterward. “We moved the ball well, but unfortunately, we didn’t have enough shots to fall.
“I can’t say enough about this senior class. Their leadership on and off the field has been amazing. They have been unselfish and done anything they’ve been asked. They’re going to be a tough group to replace.”
Union City hosts McKenzie on Tuesday, then closes its regular season Thursday at Ripley.
MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS
UC matches suspended at Crockett Co.
Union City’s girls had won two matches and was leading a third when play was stopped at Crockett County.
The Tornado boys had split two matches and were up in another.
The matches will not be made up, but the two schools will play again today at Union City at 4 p.m.
Girls Singles
*Emma Jane Rice up 3-0
Girls Doubles
Emma Jane Rice/ Blythe Ogden won 6-0
Stella Turner/Rylan Ali Bondurant won 6-4
*Phoebe Coleman/ Averi Riley up 4-1
Boys Doubles
Camden Dawkins / Kipton Powers won 7-5
Miloh Turner/Madix Turner lost 4-6
*Jake Lattus/William Tohn up 4-0
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
Huntingdon 7, UC 0
The Mustangs jumped on top 3-0 in the first inning, then tacked on four more in the fourth in blanking Union City.
Barrett Cox laced a triple for the Tornadoes’ lone base hit. Sam Jones, Ben Kail, and Copeland Chism had singles for UC, which fell to 15-9.
Troy Joslin (6-2) was saddled with the loss, pitching into the fourth before being relieved by Skyler Hall. Hall did not give up a run in 2 1/3 innings.