UNIONTOWN — Games decided in the bottom of the seventh inning is what softball is all about.
Uniontown High’s Eagles hosted Yates Center High’s Wildcats in a season-opening doubleheader Tuesday. And two competitive games came down to the final at-bats — a runner at third and two outs.
The Eagles had the tying run on third with two outs in the first game.
“The game ended with a fly ball behind second. Maggie German reached for it and it popped off her mit and second baseman Jessica Hartwig caught the ball with her bare hand,” said Kathe Hamman, Yates Center head coach.
Yates Center claimed a 5-4 win. The Wildcats used a four-run fifth inning to go up 5-2. The Eagles got two runs in the fifth also to pull to within 1.
The second game was knotted 3-3 with Uniontown having a runner at third and two gone in the seventh inning. Hamman said the Wildcats had faced the same situation three times earlier in the game and got out of it.
“We got the hit that allowed us to score the winning run in the second game,” said Alan Shinn, Uniontown head coach. “Our defense kept us in both ball games.”
The only disappointment from the day expressed by both coaches was — “we didn’t win both games.” Hamman and Shinn said they were pleased with how their teams played in the first outing of the season, especially considering how bad the weather had been throughout preseason practice time.
In the first game, Daryean Estes was the winning pitcher with four walks and nine strikeouts. Kassy Reynolds was behind the plate and caught three fly balls which the wind blew back foul.
“Our pitcher-catcher duo was pretty solid for early in the season,” Hamman said.
Reynolds had a double to drive in two runs. Drew Spencer singled and stole two bases for the Wildcats.
Uniontown’s Tayler Shook took the pitching loss. She walked four and hit two batters plus struck out seven.
Shook hammered out two triples and Hope Jurgensen had two singles. Tiffany Poyner tripled.
The second game went about the same way. Yates Center scored three runs in the first. Uniontown had single runs in the first, third, sixth and seventh innings to win 4-3.
Ithaca Marlier went the distance for the pitching win. She struck out two batters. Yates Center’s Estes allowed three walks and struck out 10 for the loss.
Shook had a single and a triple for the Eagles. Hitting a single each were Candice Clayton, Jessica Harrison, Jessie Camac, Rayma Ridge, Jurgensen and Poyner, who also had three stolen bases.
Yates Center got two singles from German and Skyler Claibourn. Hart-wig, Reynolds and Spencer each had a base hit.
On Thursday, Yates Center opens Tri-Valley League play at home against Eureka.
Uniontown doesn’t play again until April 8 at Oswego in Three Rivers League action.
Eagle, Wildcat girls split a pair
