Union/Cove splits with Enterprise, Pine Eagle

UNION/COVE’S KELSEY WALENTA slides into third base during the Lady Cats’ doubleheader with Pine Eagle Saturday. BRAD MOSHER / The Observer

UNION — Union/Cove and Enterprise/Joseph seem to always be jockeying for position with one another when it comes to the Special District 6 standings.

And this season has been no different.

But the Lady Cats missed an opportunity this weekend to jump the Cubs in the standings, splitting with Enterprise/Joseph (0-5, 8-4) Friday and splitting with Pine Eagle 
(9-8, 2-7) Saturday.

The Cubs also swept Elgin on Saturday, improving their record to 9-1, while the Lady Cats sit at 8-2 with a couple of weeks to play.

Enterprise/Joseph threw its ace, Katie Edison, in the opener Friday.

For the first four innings the game was a pitchers dual as Dani Sturm and Edison each allowed just one hit.

The Cubs took advantage of a wild pitch in the fourth inning to take a 1-0 lead, then struck for four runs in the sixth.

Edison helped herself out with a home run in the sixth inning and pitched a complete game in the win.

Edison struck out seven, while Sturm sat down 10 in six innings.

“She (Edison) kept us off balance at the plate,” Union/Cove coach Paul Phillips said.

“We just didn’t have anything on them (hit balls).”

Game 2 was a marathon of a game.

With the game tied at 3-3 going into the seventh inning, Sturm was able to drive home Keesha Sarman to give the Lady Cats a 4-3 lead.

But Enterprise/Joseph responded in the bottom of the inning when Shelby Graning drove in a run to tie the game and send it to extras.

After a scoreless eighth, Sarman reached base in the top of the ninth and eventually scored on a passed ball.

Kaci Langford tripled and then was awarded home after colliding with the third baseman and Union/Cove was able to pull out the win to salvage a sweep.

Sidney Cooney started for the Cubs and went six innings allowing three runs. Carsyn Roberts started for the Lady Cats and struck out one over seven innings.

Sturm was awarded the win, while Edison took the loss.

Union/Cove had a chance to stay even with Enterprise/Joseph on Saturday when it hosted Pine Eagle, but the Spartans were able to squeak out a split.

The Lady Cats won a back-and-forth Game 1 behind a six strikeout performance from Sturm.

Amber Fiorito, Kelsey Walenta and Sturm all had two hits in the win.

But the Spartans bounced back in Game 2.

Jamie Butler blasted a two-run homer and Chelsie Gulick hit a ball off the top of the fence with the bases loaded to help lift Pine Eagle to victory.

“We just didn’t bring our bats that game,” Phillips said.

“But it’s tough to beat a good team like that four times in a season.”

Union/Cove will host Grant Union Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. for a non-league game, its last of the year.

Cubs sweep Huskies

ELGIN — The Cubs swept Elgin on Saturday, taking the first game 9-2 before running away in the second game, 11-3.

It’s the second time in less than a week the Cubs and Huskies met.

Katie Edison got the win, striking out 13, while Danika McIntosh was saddled with the loss.

McIntosh was two for two with a double and an RBI, and Rikki Griffin was one for three with a double.

Cooney finished three for four for Enterprise/Joseph.

In Game 2, Cooney sailed through the Huskies’ lineup, striking out 10 en route to the victory.

She also was two for three with two doubles, while Amy Edison was two for four.

Griffin was one for three with two RBIs, while Shelby Strickland was two for three.

Elgin/Imbler is now 2-8 in league.

The Cubs will host Pine Eagle Friday, while the Huskies host Wallowa.