Lady Bears Take Down Lakers in Region Showdown

By Cody Rose

The Union City Lady Bears softball team returned to action on Monday afternoon as they took on the Mercyhurst Prep Lady Lakers in another region game.

After the first two players were sent down in order to start the game, Abby Bender would reach base on a walk and later score the first run of the game on an RBI triple by Rylee Beebe to give the Lakers a 1-0 lead.

After a scoreless second inning, the Lady Lakers would add a run in the top of the third as Jocelyn Jordan would reach base on a bunt-single and later score on a passed ball to give the Lakers a 2-0 lead.

The Lady Bears would score their first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth as Maddie Swan would single and later score on an error to cut into the Lakers lead 2-1 through four innings.

The Bears would come back strong again in the bottom of the fifth. Danica Williamson and Alivia Zielinski would both reach base on a single followed by Cheyenne Cummings reaching on an error. Maddie Swan would score Williamson on an RBI single to tie the game at two. Abby Capela would then hit a two-run RBI single to score Zielinski and Cummings as the Lady Bears would take a 4-2 lead. The defensive woes continued for the Lakers as both Swan and Capela would score on errors as the Lady Bears would take a 6-2 lead through five innings.

Allison Kosinski would reach base on an error to begin the top of the sixth for the Lakers. The Lady Lakers would then cut into the Bears lead on a two-run home run by Abby Bender, but still would trail 6-4.

The Lady Bears would come to bat in the bottom of the sixth looking to add to their lead. Danica Williamson would reach base on a walk to begin the inning followed by Kimmy Zielinski reaching on an error. Williamson would then score on an RBI groundout by Alivia Zielinski. Cheyenne Cummings would then double to score Zielinski, and Abby Capela would single to score Cummings, as the Lady Bears would take a 9-4 lead through six innings.

The Bears were able to avoid trouble from two baserunners in the top of the seventh as they would get out of the inning with no runs across to take down the Lakers 9-4 in a huge region win. The win improves the Lady Bears to 7-4 (3-1) on the season while the Lakers fall to 7-2 (3-1). The win enters Union City into a three-way tie for first place in Region 3 with Mercyhurst Prep and Seneca.

The Lady Bears will return to action on Tuesday afternoon as they travel to Iroquois to take on the Lady Braves in another region game.

Game stats:

Union City:

Batting:

P Kimmy Zielinski – 1/4 single, ROE, run

2B Alivia Zielinski – 1/3 single, run, RBI 

SS Cheyenne Cummings – 1/4 double, ROE, two runs, RBI 

3B Maddie Swan – 3/4 three singles, two runs, RBI 

PR Josie McQueen 

1B Abby Capela – 2/4 two singles, three RBI 

PR Olivia Capela – run

LF Maylynn Sipes – 0/4 ROE

RF Marie Troyer – 0/3 two ROE

C Ellie Chapman – 0/3

CF Danica Williamson – 1/2 single, walk, two runs

Pitching:

P Kimmy Zielinski – 7.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 2 BB, 1 HR

Mercyhurst Prep:

Batting:

CF Jocelyn Jordan – 1/3 bunt-single, walk, run

2B Allison Kosinski – 0/3 ROE, run

3B Abby Bender – 1/2 HR, walk, two runs, two RBI

P Rylee Beebe – 1/3 triple, RBI

1B Kara Dugan – 1/3 single

C Harper Spence – 0/3

RF Lucy Baker – 0/3 ROE

LF Katherine Pondo – 0/3

SS Kayden Thomas – 0/3 ROE

Pitching:

P Rylee Beebe – 6.0 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 3 ER, 10 K, 1 BB