The Union County Lady Pats’ softball program hadn’t lost more than two games in a row since May of 2018 … until this past week. UC continued a four-game skid and recently ended their Tri-Eastern Conference win streak at 43 games; the streak lasted nearly six years without a TEC loss. 

First-year coach Brock Pilgrim’s losing streak started last Wednesday when Northeastern came to Liberty and walked away with a 7-3 win. A Saturday contest against Yorktown had the Lady Pats down 13-0 after three innings; they lost by 10 runs. Monday evening UC traveled to Hagerstown and returned home without putting a run on the board. A 10-0 shutout and second conference loss was followed by Tuesday’s 11-2 loss to Lawrenceburg. UC has fallen from the preseason state ranks and from the top of the TEC for the first time in a long time.

Shortstop AnnaLea Adams drew three intentional walks but plated a run for UC, who stayed even with the Lady Knights through two innings. Northeastern pitcher Mackenzie Johnson stymied the UC bats over the next four innings. The Lady Knights took a 7-1 lead until the bottom of the sixth when the Lady Pats added to their tally. UC plated another run in the final frame but took a 7-3 loss. Along with Adams, seniors Bailey Mathews and Whitney King plated three Lady Pat runs in the loss. Natalie Long and Mackenzie Carter picked up RBI and Ally Gray doubled for UC. Mathews went the distance in the circle, tossing seven innings and striking out 11 NE batters. The loss put Mathews’ record at 4-2.

UC fell behind when Mathews allowed five runs in the first inning to the Lady Tigers Saturday. Another three runs scored by Yorktown in the second frame and five more in the third had UC climbing uphill. Freshman Kamora Klingman replaced Mathews in the circle and ended the third inning. Klingman kept the Lady Tigers off the board for the first time in the fourth inning, while the UC bats attempted a comeback in the bottom of the fourth. The Lady Pat seniors again were able to get UC on the board. Adams knocked her sixth home run out of the park, scoring Gray. King scored a run with Long picking up the RBI, and Long plated a run with Carter doing the honors at the plate. Down 11, Klingman issued a walk in the fifth and a defensive mishap allowed another Yorktown run, making it 14-4. UC was unable to score in the bottom of the inning and Pilgrim’s squad dropped their second game in a row.

The UC pitching combo of Mathews and Klingman each allowed five runs against the Hagerstown Lady Tigers Monday. The Lady Pats managed just five hits in the game against the Tigers’ Rylan Young. Harly Pilgrim had two hits, Gray got on with a double and Mathews and Long each singled in the loss. Neither UC pitcher was able to register a strikeout in the game and both gave up four walks. The loss was the second for the Lady Pats in conference play; they sit in fourth place at 4-2. Both Hagerstown and NE remain undefeated in TEC action.

Pilgrim and the Lady Patriots looked to get back on the winning track with a game at Richmond Wednesday and a home contest against South Dearborn Friday. After a 6-2 start, UC is 6-6.