Union County

It has been a daunting task for the Lady Eagles, looking for a way to get over the hump and surpass Smithville in the playoffs. Facing the Lady Seminoles in the postseason for a third year in a row, West Union swept their nemesis, capped by a 5-1 win on the road in Amory on Saturday.

West Union picked up a 6-0 game one win at Greenville on Friday and now look ahead to potentially sweeping their third opponent in a row today at home.

Hunter McQuary brought in the game's first run in the opening inning and Taylor English added to that lead in the fifth with his two-run double. The Eagles, ahead 4-0 in the top of the seventh, added two more runs in the win.

Will Basil struck out 11, and head coach Ashley Russell noted the third and fourth innings being crucial for his senior pitcher.

Last season is still on the minds of the West Union baseball team. Falling shy of making the playoffs after their 2009 state championship appearance, the mindset of Ashley Russell’s team changed as they want another chance to make it to Jackson.
“That was a big deal going into this year,” Russell said. “We’ve had success for three years in a row, but last year, especially in my older guys, I saw the new commitment to get better and the attitudes have been much better than they were last year.”

As Andy Wilbanks gathered his team in the outfield in the pouring rain, he told them that it was not meant to be. The Falcons held a 3-0 advantage in its deciding game against Pine Grove, but the Panthers took the contest to extra innings, winning 8-6 Monday night.

“The miscues, that’s Ingomar’s baseball season in one word,” Wilbanks said. “For whatever reason, it just wasn’t meant for us to win. I don’t know why, it just wasn’t meant to be.”