Union Grove tops Antioch 5-2 behind Kuiper, Northup
Union Grove broke through in the third inning and added insurance the rest of the way Wednesday, beating Antioch 5-2 at Antioch Community High School behind a steady pitching effort from Christian Kuiper and a solo home run from Evan Northup.
The Broncos took the lead on a single by Williams in the top of the third after a nine-pitch at-bat, a sequence that helped set the tone in a tightly played game. Union Grove later added another key run in the fifth when Northup drove a solo homer to right field, extending the advantage as the Broncos continued to pressure Antioch with consistent contact throughout the lineup.
Union Grove finished with nine hits and got multi-hit games from Cooper Dye and Dominic Pascucci. Dye went 2-for-4 and drove in a team-high two runs, while Pascucci also collected two hits. The Broncos' offense did not need a big inning, instead building the win with timely hitting and enough production to stay in front.
Kuiper earned the win after allowing four hits and two runs, one earned, over four innings. He struck out four and did not issue a walk. Reisenauer closed out the game for the save, helping Union Grove secure the result late. Antioch starter Costello took the loss after surrendering two runs on four hits in three innings, striking out four and walking four.
Antioch got two hits apiece from Gissel and Herstowski, but Union Grove limited the damage and protected its lead. With the road win, the Broncos move on to their next test Thursday, when they travel to Elkhorn.
