By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
Union City, Tenn.–Union City will be sending at least 10 track and field athletes on to next week’s Spring Fling in Murfreesboro after they recorded Top 4 finishes in the Small Division West Sectional at Kirby High School in Memphis.
Several more Tornadoes could make the state meet as “wild-cards” after results across the state are tabulated and announced over the next few days.
Justyn Johnson (shot put), Kylie McCadney (triple jump), BJ Frankum (3200 meters) and the 4X800 boys relay team (Frankum, Matthew Parr, Ben Martinek and Bobby Chrisp) all recorded first-place finishes to highlight Union City’s strong showing Monday.
Unfortunately, the state tournament hopes of both the UC baseball and softball programs ended with regional semifinal losses Monday.
Tornado baseball saw second-ranked Trinity Christian Academy push across an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth to send UC to the sideline with a 2-1 loss.
Union City ends its season – one that saw the Purple and Gold capture a second straight District 13A regular season title — with a 24-10 record.
Twister softball saw its season come to a close with a 7-3 loss to visiting Halls.
UC winds up with a 19-11 mark.
A recap of Monday’s competitions is as follows:
TRACK AND FIELD
Tornado boys place 3rd in team standings
In addition to the aforementioned state qualifiers, Taylon Tribble was second and Neil Brown third in the discus to help the UC boys finish third in the overall team standings of the meet.
Mariah Johnson was third in the girls’ discus.
“It was a really good day for us,” Tornado assistant coach Katie Parr said. “We were only one point out of second place in the boys’ standings, and we’re still waiting for the final results to be posted.
“We have several kids who finished fifth and I believe their times and distances have them in the running for the wildcard spots.”
The Small Division State Meet will be held May 24 in Murfreesboro as part of the annual Spring Fling.
BASEBALL
TCA 2, UC 1 (8)
The Lions took advantage of a pair of walks and an error to plate the deciding unearned run in the bottom of the eighth to bring down the curtain on the Tornadoes’ 2019 campaign.
Union City ace Peyton Edwards also reached the state-mandated pitch limit (120) in that final frame and the host Jackson school got a clutch two-out single with the bases loaded to end the game.
The Twisters scored their only run in the fifth and that after loading the bases with nobody out. Dalton Bone’s fielder’s choice brought home Dawson Searcy with that tally.
UC again loaded the bases in that frame with just one out, but couldn’t push across another run.
The Tornadoes stranded seven base runners in all.
Kaler Bobo had two of Union City’s seven singles, while Conner Hurt, Will Hogan, Tyler Walton and Bone also recorded safeties.
Edwards (8-1) was charged with the pitching loss, despite giving up just five scattered hits and striking out 10. Walton came on to finish off a strikeout after Edwards had reached his limited pitch count, but surrendered Zachary Timms’ single to leftfield that brought in the winning run for TCA (33-3), which will host Lake County Wednesday in the regional finals.
UC will graduate 11 seniors off this year’s roster: Hurt, Hogan, Walton, Searcy, Edwards, Austin Atwill, Carson Sinclair, Miles Odle, Kizer, Preston Little and Jaxon Moran.
SOFTBALL
Halls 7, UC 3
Union City scored first, but the Lady Tigers tallied in five of their next six at-bats to beat the Twister girls for the third time this season.
UC did rally for a pair of runs in its last at-bat and had the tying run at the plate before Halls wiggled out of trouble to record the victory.
Gracie Laster drove in Avery Decker in the opening frame for the Lady Tornadoes, but the visitors tied things in the second and then went ahead for good with two runs in the third.
Decker ended up with two of Union City’s five hits, including a double. She reached base three times in all. So did Anna Lynn Cheatham, who doubled and walked twice. Cheatham drove in a run and scored another.
Laster recorded two RBI for the Twisters.
Kallie Worrell was saddled with the pitching loss after tossing 4 1/3 innings, giving up six runs (four earned) and striking out four. Sophie Theobald finished up, giving up a run and fanning three.
Laster, Halle Riley, Tiffanie Oldaker and Faith McLendon are seniors on this year’s Union City roster.
Menu
