Union/Cove batters visiting Prospectors to claim 8-4 win in final non-league game of season

ON THE RUN: Union’s Kaci Langford chases down a Grant Union player in a rundown between second and third base during Tuesday’s 8-4 victory over the visiting Prospectors. The Lady Cats travel to Elgin Saturday for a doubleheader. CASEY KELLAS / The Observer

UNION — The Lady Cats won a non-league contest over Grant Union Tuesday -— but they had to dig out of a hole to do it. 

Union/Cove put together a pair of four-run innings to walk away with an 8-4 victory over the visiting Prospectors.

“We didn’t have our A-game, but we got some stuff going,” coach Paul Phillips said.

After two scoreless innings, the Prospectors were able to take advantage of some miscues by the Lady Cats.

Starting pitcher DanI Sturm walked the first two hitters she faced. “I was leaning forward,” Sturm said of her loss of control.

Then after both runners advanced on a pitch in the dirt, the Prospectors got on the board on a ball hit to     second base that was bobbled around, putting the visitors on top, 1-0.

Another run came home on a bunt that catcher Carsyn Roberts dropped on the throw home. Grant Union added two more runs in the inning to take a 4-0 lead.

But the Lady Cats were able to respond.

Union/Cove was able to get the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth before an RBI single by Hannah Kast got the Lady Cats on the board.

Chandra Warren followed that with an RBI infield single, before Kindra Moore added an RBI single of her own to make it 4-3. Keesha Sarman drew a bases loaded walk to tie the game at 4-4.

“It was nice to see a little something,” Phillips said of the teams bats coming alive after struggling at times last weekend.

The Lady Cats had another big inning in the fifth.

Sturm led off with a double followed by a line drive back up the middle by Amber Fiorito. A shot off the top of the fence by Kaci Langford put Union/Cove on top, 5-4. RBIs by Kast and Moore stretched the lead to 7-4, then Kast came home on a wild pitch to round out the scoring.

Sturm worked out of a jam in the sixth when Grant Union stranded runners at second and third, before Roberts worked the seventh to seal the victory.

Sturm went six innings and struck out eight in the win. She also had three hits. Kast was two for three with a pair of RBIs. Fiorito added a pair of hits.

This was the final non-league game of the season for the Lady Cats, who improve to 12-6 overall. Union/Cove will travel to play Elgin Saturday for a doubleheader starting at noon.