BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
McKenzie Clemons and Leah Clark each drove in two runs as part of a five-run seventh inning as the Union County High School softball team came out on top in a battle of Class 1A unbeatens, defeating host Williston 8-3 on March 17.
With the game tied at 3-3, Hailey Rivera was hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the seventh. Nyasia Williams drew a walk, followed by Hayley Burke loading the bases with a bunt single. Clemons hit a pitch back up the middle to score Rivera and Williams and put the Tigers ahead 5-3. After Burke was tagged out at home while trying to score on a wild pitch, Maggie Thomas walked. One out later, Angela Tucker, Tamia Young and Clark all hit singles. Young’s first-pitch hit up the middle scored a run, while Clark, also hitting the first pitch she saw back up the middle, pushed the final two runs across.
Pitcher Megan Sullivan, who went the distance, forced a ground out, a fly out and a pop-up to second baseman Thomas to end the game.
Sullivan gave up five hits and one walk, while striking out four.
The Red Devils (5-1) struck first, with Nevaeh Hayes hitting a two-out solo home run in the first.
Union evened the score in the third. Young led the inning off with a single, stole second and scored on a double by Williams.
Williston retook the lead in the fourth, with Hayes getting hit by a pitch and scoring with two outs on a single by Baylee Cribbs.
The Tigers took their first lead of the game with two runs in the top of the fifth. They loaded the bases, with Young and Rivera walking and Clark hitting a single. Young scored on a passed ball, while Rivera scored on Clemons’ shallow sacrifice fly.
Sullivan retired the first two batters she faced in the bottom of the sixth, but the Devils strung three singles together, with Reagan Geiger scoring on the third, which was hit by Cribbs.
That tied the score, but it wouldn’t remain that way long, thanks to the Tigers’ big seventh inning.
Clemons finished 2 for 4 with three RBI, while Clark was 3 for 5 with two RBI. Young went 3 for 4 with an RBI.
Union traveled to Gainesville the next night and had no trouble with Buchholz, getting six RBI from Young in a 20-2 win in three innings on March 18 to improve to 9-0.
The Tigers scored three runs on wild pitches as part of a nine-run first. Williams drove in a run on the first of her three doubles, followed by Young hitting a bases-loaded double that scored every runner. Clark drove in a run as well.
Williams hit a double to lead off the top of the second and came around to score on Burke’s single. Young and Hannah Rivera each drove in a run on a ground ball to put Union ahead 12-0.
An eight-run third inning featured two-run doubles hit by Clark and Young, while Williams doubled in another run and came around to score on the same play. Tucker and Campbell Webb each hit a run-scoring single.
Williams went 3 for 3, while Clark and Young each went 2 for 3. Clark had two RBI.
Pitcher Lily Neal gave up five hits in earning the win.
The Tigers will be back in action on Tuesday, March 29, when they host Columbia at 6:30 p.m.
