Rachel Sparks
LIBERTY, Ind. – The Union County softball team dominated Cowan on Saturday as the Patriots swept a twinbill from the Blackhawks on a cold and windy day.
Union County won both contests in five innings as the Patriots took the opener 10-0 and then followed that contest with a 12-0 victory.
“Today was about pitching a defense,” Union County Head Coach Scott Gray said. “We got two shutouts. Defensively, we had one error on the first play of the first game. We were pretty solid after that.”
The Patriots allowed just one hit by Cowan (0-2) in each contest.
In the first game, Rachel Sparks allowed just three base runners as she surrendered a single and a walk in the top of the fifth.
The first hitter of the game reached on an error. After that, Sparks retired 11 straight until the final frame. She struck out nine.
Union County picked up the initial run of the affair on a RBI double by Emma Adams.
The game remained 1-0 until the bottom of the fourth when the Patriots posted three runs before they ended the game with six more scores in the next inning.
Tanner Henry knocked in a run in the fourth and Adams drove in a pair. Henry and Danielle Franklin each had two RBI in the sixth, while Adams and Sparks picked up one apiece.
Fayth Hill
Game two wasn’t much different for the Patriots.
“We were full of energy today, which is a great thing,” Gray said. “A lot of times that’s hard on a Saturday morning in weather like this. We should play like this all of the time”
The only hit Hill (1-0) gave up in her first high school start was a wind-blown double in the third inning as the fielders tried to track the ball on the blustery afternoon.
In the first inning, Adams started the scoring with a run-scoring double and Madison Walters added a two-run single.
A sacrifice fly in the second by Kristin Klein made it 4-0.
In the third, the Patriots exploded with eight runs in the third inning. Walters and Tara Williams highlighted the rally with two-run singles.
Union County (2-2) entertains Tri-County North on Monday.
Game One Line Score
Cowan 0 0 0 0 0 – 0
Union Co. 1 0 0 3 6 – 10
Batteries – Cowan: Alyssa Mead (L) and Megan Roberts; Union County: Rachel Sparks (W) and Madison Walters. 2B – Union County: Emma Adams 2. 3B – Union County: Tanner Henry.
Game Two Line Score
Cowan 0 0 0 0 0 – 0
Union Co. 3 1 8 0 x – 12
Batteries – Cowan: Alyssa Mead (L), Karlee Rumfelt (4) and Megan Roberts; Union County: Fayth Hill (W) and Kristin Klein. 2B – Cowan: Mariah Rumfelt; Union County: Emma Adams.