By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Union City’s two track teams were easily the class of an 11-school Open Meet Thursday at UCHS.
The Tornado boys – bolstered six individual first-place finishes and a pair of winning relay finishes – totaled 151 points. Dyer County was a distant second with 69.
The order was the same in the girls’ competition as UC was first (126 points) and DC runner-up (81).
Union City was strong in both the field events and in the running events.
Aiden Reid won the shot put, and Kyle Price took first place in the discus. Adrian Crawford was the class of the long jump field, while Owen Waggoner won the 400, and Woodrow McKinnis claimed honors in the 800-meter run. Andre Small broke the tape first in the 100 meters.
The Twisters’ 4X100 relay team, consisting of Rodney Jenkins, Shontorius Fuller, Waggoner, and Crawford, won first place, as did the 4X400 quartet made up of Waggoner, Small, McKinnis, and Crawford.
The UC girls were led by a pair of first-place showings by Debrionna Jones, who won the shot and the discus. Katana Bonds claimed honors in the long jump, and Ca’Lae Ervin was first in the high jump.
Union City will host another Open Meet next Thursday.
HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL
UC 14, South Fulton 3
The Lady Tornadoes jumped ahead early and scored in every inning while snapping a three-game losing skid and opening District 14A play with a mercy-rule victory.
Mattie Smith tripled twice, drove in three runs, and notched the pitching win to pace UC, now 3-3 overall. Addison Carr had a three-base hit and a trio of RBIs, while hot-hitting Kennedi Robinson went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a ribbie.
Annalece Morton drove in two runs, Kylee McClure scored three times, and Kylie Mayes crossed the plate twice for the victors.
Smith gave up just one hit while striking out five to notch the pitching win.
Union City will host Lake County on Monday at 5 p.m.
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL
UC 14, Ballard Memorial 1
The Tornadoes pounded out a season-high 13 hits to improve to 6-4 heading into tonight’s 7:30 game vs. Camden at Elam Stadium.
Union City scored four times in the first, then finished off the Bombers with a seven-run seventh.
Troy Joslin had a huge day at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, four runs scored, and two RBIs. Logan Dawkins had two hits and drove in two tallies, and Ben Kail scored three runs and had two ribbies. Tucker Davis went 2-for-3, and Ben Howell scored twice.
Copeland Chism posted his third consecutive high-quality start, improving to 3-0 by going the distance on a two-hitter. Chism struck out 11 and lowered his earned run average to 0.82 after throwing 62 of 86 pitches for strikes.
The two teams will meet again in a week in the opening round of the L.H. Ladd Memorial Tournament in Union City.
HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER
UC 3, South Fulton 0
The Twisters posted their third straight win and drew to the .500 mark on the season with a shutout of the Red Devils.
UC got two goals and an assist from Marcos Landeros after Carter Wilson opened the scoring at the 12:52 mark.
Rylan Robinson and Khazarion Scates were credited assists on Landeros’ goals.
Eric Lopez turned away four shots in goal for the Tornadoes to get credit for the shutout.
Union City’s next match is on April 1 at Jackson Northside.
MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS
UC 7, Crockett Co. (G)
UC 5, Crockett Co. 2 (B)
Union City swept CC for the second time in four days this week and improved to 3-0 in girls’ and boys’ play.
Rylan Ali Bondurant was pushed to the end before edging Hannah Wede in the lone close girls’ match Thursday. Averi Riley, Andi Walker, Kenslie Taylor, and Austyn Dilday each won big in singles play. Both UC girls’ doubles teams (Bondurant/Riley) and Walker and Carsen Gray were convincing winners, too.
On the boys’ side, William Tohn won a hard-fought singles match that went to a tiebreaker.
Union City will be back in action on Monday at Dyersburg.
Girls Singles
Rylan Ali Bondurant (UC) defeated Hannah Wede (CC) 7-5
Averi Riley (UC) defeated Charlee Lewis (CC) 6-1
Andi Walker (UC) defeated MaLeah Maben (CC) 6-0
Kenslie Taylor (UC) defeated Renata Anunez (CC) 6-0
Austyn Dilday (UC) defeated Olivia Watson (CC) 6-1
Girls Doubles
Bondurant/Riley (UC) defeated Wede/ Lewis (CC) 6-1
Walker/Carsen Gray (UC) defeated Antunez/Maben (CC) 6-0
Boys Singles
Kipton Powers (UC) lost to Carson Craig (CC) 3-6
William Tohn (UC) defeated Davis Manning (CC) 7-6 Tiebreaker 7-4
Maddix Turner (UC) defeated Logan Sammons (CC) 6-1
Miloh Turner (UC) lost to Penn Mann (CC) 1-6
Austin Powell (UC) defeated Sebastian Sammons (CC) 6-1
Walton Harder (UC) lost to Larin Pruitt (CC) 0-6
Boys Doubles
Powers/Tohn (UC) defeated Craig/Manning (CC) 6-3
Turner/Turner (UC) defeated L. Sammons/Mann (CC) 6-1
Brandon Allen/Armee Jo Wilkins (UC) lost to S. Sammons/Bruton (CC) 6-7 (JV match)
MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER
Henry County 3, UC 1
Union City scored first and outshot the Patriots 5-4 but dropped a close contest in Paris.
The Twisters (2-4) led 1-0 at the intermission after Carlos Rodriguez fed Jeremy Martinez for a goal nearly 28 minutes into the match.
HC scored three times during an eight-minute span in the second half, however, to rally for the win.
UC won’t play again until it travels to Fulton County on March 31.