UNION CITY — Tri-County North’s softball team improved to 5-0 with an 18-6 win over Mississinawa Valley on Thursday, April 5.
North scored four runs in each of the first two innings to grab an 8-0 lead. The Panthers extended the lead to 10-0 after 3 1/2 innings before the Blackhawks rallied to get within five runs at 11-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning.
North put the game out of reach with seven runs in the seventh.
Contributing to the big inning included Avery Shank, Emily Norris, Lexi Delong, Sidney Jackson, Taylor Green, and Riley Cruse, all sending runners across the plate with RBIs in the inning.
As a team, the Panthers collected 17 hits as Norris, Jackson, Green, Cruse, Kaitlin Heindl, and Morgan Helman each racked up multiple hits. Green, Jackson, and Norris all had three hits.
Cruse got credit for the win. She pitched four innings, allowing one run on six hits, striking out two and walking one. Jackson threw three innings in relief out of the bullpen.
North was scheduled to play Newton on Tuesday. The Panthers are scheduled to play at Tri-Village on Thursday, April 12 and will host Ansonia on Friday. North will close out the week with a doubleheader on Saturday at Waynesville.
North’s baseball team shutout the Blackhawks, 9-0, behind the pitching of Chandler Sproles.
Sproles allowed just two hits as North won in a Cross County Conference contest. He lasted seven innings, allowing two hits, while striking out eight and walking none.
North scored three runs in the first inning and added three more in the second for a 6-0 lead.
In the second, a home run by Sproles and an error on a ball put in play by Liam Downing gave the Panthers command of the game.
North added a single run in the fourth and two more in the sixth for the final margin.
North finished the game with nine hits. Collin Whipp and Downing each managed multiple hits.
The Panthers closed out the week with a 16-9 loss to Arcanum on Friday.
North was scheduled to play Newton on Tuesday. They are to play at Tri-Village on Thursday. They will host Ansonia on Friday and will wrap up the week with a doubleheader on Saturday at Union County.
