Published: October 10, 2008 04:44 am            

Host Lady Jackets sweep, set up Clarkdale showdown

UNION — The Union Lady Jackets swept their first-round Class 2A playoff series with Enterprise-Lincoln County Thursday, winning 7-1 in the opener and 10-3 in the nightcap.

Union, 15-7, travels to Clarkdale, 15-5, in second-round action Saturday at 2 p.m.

“I’m extremely proud of the girls tonight because we have a tendency to play that first game, then sit back and just let that second game happen to us,” said Union head coach Todd Viverette. “Tonight, we held enough intensity to get through it and move on to the next round.”

Enterprise-Lincoln finished 18-10.

In the 7-1 win in the opener, the Lady Jackets got all seven of their runs in their first at-bat. Singles by Yancey Tillman and Kayla Bates and a walk to Shelby Smith loaded the bases. Jamie Vance singled home the first run with the second scoring on Katie Vance’s fielder’s choice.

Tori Holsen made it 3-0 with a bases-loaded walk. Ashley Walker delivered the big blow of the game with a bases-loaded triple to left field for a 6-0 advantage. Walkerthen scored on a single by Bailee Viverette.

“We look for Ashley and the other three seniors to do something to get us going,” said Todd Viverette. “That was a big, big hit in that game and Ashley deserved it.”

ELHS got its only run in the top of the fourth as Erika Rutland beat out an infield hit and Ashley Greer followed with a double. Rutland scored on a fielder’s choice by Lacey Orr.

Union had 10 hits with Smith getting a single and a double and Viverette and Hayley Stephens both getting two singles.

The Lady Jackets turned two double plays. Smith (14-7) got the win.

Enterprise-Lincoln had five hits. Orr took the loss.

In the 10-3 win in the second game, Union scored five times in the top of the seventh inning to pad a 5-3 lead.

Union went up 1-0 in the top of the first as Bates tripled and scored on a ground out by Smith.

The Lady Jackets extended their lead to 3-0 in the second frame as Summer Richardson reached on an error and scored on a double by Stephens. After another error, Stephens scored on a sacrifice fly by Walker.

Union added single runs in the fourth and fifth to take a 5-0 lead.

Richardson doubled in the fourth and scored on an infield hit by Holsen. In the fifth, Bates walked and came home on a two-out, bases-loaded single by Richardson.

E-L stayed in striking range as Union left the bases loaded in both the fourth and fifth frames.

Enterprise-Lincoln closed to within 5-3 with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Amy Lambert had an RBI double, Sarah Burke had a run-scoring fielder’s choice, and Ann Marie Cole had an RBI single.

Union tallied five insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Bates had an RBI triple, Smith followed with an RBI single, Jamie Vance and Katie Vance had back-to-back RBI doubles, and Viverette had an RBI single.

Union had 20 hits. Tillman had three with Bates, Smith, Katie Vance, Richardson, Stephens, and Viverette each getting two.

Smith (15-7) got the win.

Union again turned two double plays.

ELHS had six hits with Orr getting two singles in taking the loss.

        

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