Union County won the sectional with an 8-2 over Knightstown on May 25. Photo by Ryan Tincher.
LIBERTY, Ind. – Sirens and horns.
The Union County softball team was celebrating on Wednesday night as the Patriots were escorted through town by the police and fire departments after they beat Knightstown 8-2 to claim the school’s first softball sectional title since 2012.
“It feels amazing,” said Emma Adams, who blasted a homer that turned the game around for the Patriots.
“I don’t even have any words for it,” she added. “Getting to play for a regional is definitely something to be excited for.”
As the winner of Sectional 41 in Class 2A, the Patriots (23-6) will entertain Eastern Hancock (18-3) on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The Royals won Sectional 42 championship at Triton Central on Wednesday with a 12-0 victory over the host squad.
“They are a quality opponent,” Union County Head Coach Scott Gray said. “We’ve had some real battles with them.”
The two teams haven’t met since 2014 when the Patriots won 5-2 in a sectional semifinal contest.
On Wednesday, Knightstown (13-11) got off to a quick start as the Panthers scored twice in the top of the first against Union County starting pitcher Rachel Sparks.
“It didn’t really bother me,” Sparks said. “I knew we were going to get it back. (I was) trying to find the strike zone and where this umpire was calling it. Then I got in the grove of it and worked it out.”
The Panthers had a double and a triple in the frame that produced the runs.
“We came out a little tight,” Gray said. “I was very impressed with the way they hit the ball (on Tuesday) watching them play Hagerstown. Rachel left a couple of pitches up. They hit it hard and it cost us two runs.”
It could have been worse for the Patriots, who would eventually tie the 2008 team for the most wins in school history.
“We did a great job of getting out of the rest of that inning,” Gray said. “Emma (Adams) had a great back up to throw the girl out at the plate.”
As fast as the Panthers grabbed the advantage, the Patriots needed only three batters in the bottom of the first to take the lead.
Tanner Henry reached base on a dropped fly ball to left and then she scored on a double by Tara Williams.
Then it was Adams’ turn to face Knightstown starter Haley Fowler, who blanked Hagerstown 8-0 on Tuesday.
“I knew I wanted to wait for one to see how she pitched,” Adams said.
As the count reached 3-2 in the at bat, Adams was prepared for the moment.
“I cleared my head and I just took a swing,” Adams said. “At first, I didn’t think it was out.”
But it cleared the fence in left and the Patriots led 3-2.
“She worked the count full and got a pitch she could handle and hit it a long way into a crosswind,” Gray said of the fifth homer of the season by Adams.
From that point, Sparks held Knightstown scoreless as she limited the Panthers to six hits with four strikeouts.
“Rachel really settled in a threw a fantastic game,” Gray said.
In the third, Union County added a run on a double by Madison Walters.
“We knew it wasn’t over,” Walters said of the early deficit. “We had a long time to come back.”
The Patriots didn’t really need that long as they put the game away with three runs in the fourth.
With runners on second and third, Knightstown Head Coach Brett Mann instructed Fowler to intentionally walk Adams to load the bases to bring Walters to the plate.
After a wild pitch that allowed Henry to score, Walters doubled home two more runs and the Patriots led 7-2.
“It broke their spirit a little bit,” Gray said. “She has delivered and delivered.”
Walters was ready to take advantage of the situation.
“It happened to me earlier in the year,” Walters said of watching Adams get walked. “I was just trying to get a base hit. I just knew I had to get a hit.”
Sparks knocked in the final run for the Patriots in the sixth.
“They just don’t get down,” Gray said of his team.
Gray praised Henry, Walters, Danielle Franklin and Rebecca Stafford for their leadership as the Patriots won their fifth sectional crown.
“I just can’t say enough about my four seniors,” he said. “They continue to be positive role models and do things the right way.”
Union County won its other three sectional titles in 2006, 2008 and 2011. The Patriots won their only regional championship in 2012.