Lancers rally past Union Grove 5-4 in seventh despite Broncos' eight-hit day

Union Grove’s varsity baseball team out-hit the Lancers 8-4 on Saturday, but a late swing in the bottom of the seventh sent the Broncos to a 5-4 loss at Mary D. Bradford High School.

The decisive inning came after Union Grove carried a lead into the seventh. The Lancers pulled even and then moved in front with a sequence that included a hit batter, a sacrifice fly by Davidson and a run-scoring single from Johnson. That late rally erased what had been a strong response from the Broncos after they fell behind earlier in the game.

The Lancers struck first in the third inning when Davidson connected for a solo home run to right field. Union Grove answered in the top of the fourth and briefly grabbed control. Cooper Dye brought in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Tucker Katterhagen followed with an RBI single to center. Reesman, Katterhagen and Dye each finished with one RBI for the Broncos.

Katterhagen led Union Grove at the plate with three hits, while Williams added two hits in four at-bats. The Broncos also created pressure on the bases, finishing with four stolen bases. Even with that activity, Union Grove could not fully capitalize on its offensive edge.

On the mound, Luke Drummond started for Union Grove and allowed one run on two hits over 2 1/3 innings, with one strikeout and two walks. Christian Kuiper took the loss after working one inning and allowing four runs, two earned, on one hit while striking out two and walking one. For the Lancers, Falk gave up seven hits and two runs, both unearned, over four innings. Schmitz earned the win with a dominant final inning, striking out three over one hitless frame.

Davidson led the Lancers with two RBIs and went 1-for-2, while Kenesie had two hits in four at-bats. For Union Grove, the most notable number was still the hit total. The Broncos finished with twice as many hits as the Lancers, but the late seventh-inning rally decided the game.