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AFTON — East Union had lost the previous two times it had played Mormon Trail this season. The Eagles played the Saints even better than the previous two times but still fell short, dropping a 7-5 decision in the Class 2A Region 8 opener.
“If we’re going to go out, at least we went out on a night where we fought hard, we were in the game until the end, and we had opportunities to win,” said East Union coach Jason Riley.
The Eagles put their foot in the pedal in the first inning as they started as the away team despite playing in Afton. Six singles amounted to three runs as Callie Gossman and Olivia Eckels both drilled run-scoring base hits.
The Saints got a run back in the third when a long Gracie Hitt triple scored Kaylee Palmer. Mormon Trail tied the game in the fourth after an Ashley Glenn run-scoring single and a slow grounder back to pitcher Megan Mitchell allowed Cheyenne Williams to score.
Mormon Trail took the lead in the fourth when a Hitt double scored runners from second and third.
The 5-3 lead looked nearly enough to defeat East Union. The Eagles fought back though, and knotted the game at 5-5 in the sixth with timely-hitting. Back-to-back singles from Katlin Weinkoetz and Rylee Mitchell brought home Beth McKnight and Kacie Ripperger respectively.
Mormon Trail went out and earned the victory in the bottom of the sixth. Alexis Roberts started the inning with an infield single, and two batters later Payton Gwinn singled and took second on an errant throw in the infield. A run-scoring single by Williams and a mistake on an errant throw by Alissa Weinkoetz at third each allowed a run to score to get to the final tally of 7-5.
The Eagles went in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.
Ripperger, Katlin Weinkoetz, Gossman and Rylee Mitchell all had two hits in the game.
Mitchell worked out of several bases loaded jams and pitched five innings but took a no-decision. Jayden Welcher pitched the fifth and sixth for East Union.
“I think it really shows leadership and how we don’t want to give up…we fight to the end,” Katlin Weinkoetz said.
For Katlin Weinkoetz, Shaylee Cooper and Angie Lopez, their time at East Union is complete.
The Eagles were already a program full of youth, with four eighth graders and two freshmen set to letter this year.
“When you play that many young girls, you feel bad for the seniors that this is their going out party, but for the rest of them, are we better than we were yesterday? And with as many young girls that we play and as many we’ve lettered, the future I think looks pretty good,” Riley said.
“We fought hard and I just wish it had come out a different way,” Weinkoetz said.
East Union finished the season 4-20 overall.
Mormon Trail 7, East Union 5
R H E
EU 300 002 0— 5 11 1
MT 102 202 x— 7 6 3
EU: Megan Mitchell 2K 6BB, Jayden Welcher 1K 1BB and Callie Gossman. MT: Kaylee Palmer 3K 1BB and Alexis Roberts. W —Palmer. L— Welcher. HR — none 3B — MT: Hitt. 2B — MT: Gracie Hitt 1. RBI — EU: Katlin Weinkoetz 1, Rylee Mitchell 1, Callie Gossman 1. MT: Gracie Hitt 3, Cheyenne Williams 1, Ashley Glenn 1, BreAnn Rhodes 1. Multiple hitters — EU: Kacie Ripperger 2, Weinkoetz 2, Rylee Mitchell 2, Callie Gossman 2. MT: Gracie Hitt 2.