TOLONO - Good things come in threes, especially for Jenna Adkins on Monday during the Rockets' home game against Oakwood.
With a smile on her face, Jenna Adkins heads to home plate after sending a bomb out to right field in the first inning to give the Rockets a 1-0 lead against visiting Oakwood.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
Leading off for Unity (3-1) in the bottom of the first inning, Atkins crushed the third pitch, sending it over the right field fence. If it wasn't for the 25 m.p.h.-plus cross wind out of the southeast, the ball could have sailed another 10 yards past the vehicles parked on the other side of the fence.
"It's always a windy day at the Unity HS Softball field! However, last night was so odd," exclaimed Unity head coach Aimee Davis. "When I was hitting ground balls to the infield, the wind even had an influence on those and the direction they went after contact."
She pointed out that "fly balls were hard to read" due to the steady, unrelenting wind. It was amazing there weren't more errors than the one recorded by the Comets in the four-inning affair that ended 14-0 in favor of the Rockets.
"I do not think I have played or coached in a windier game than last night. It was wild," Davis said.
Adkins' homer was just the start. Unity tallied six more runs, the last courtesy of Atkins, whose single put Taylor Drennan across the plate for the final run of the inning.
Gracie Enos throws a pitch during the first innning. Despite throwing 25 strikes out of her 38 pitches, the senior suffered eight runs on eight hits against the Rockets.
Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
"When you can start the game with a leadoff homerun, that sets the tone for the rest of the game," Davis said.
Adkins finished the non-conference game with three hits in her three at-bats and booked three RBIs.
"Jenna had another great at-bat and hit the ball square. We need that from her, and she wants to have good outcomes up to bat," Davis said. "She's followed by solid hitters that get their jobs done."
The Rockets scattered a hit from nine different batters in the lineup. Grace Bickers, Sophia Beckett, and Reese Frye had two RBIs each.
"Our offensive lineup is a good one, and we are starting to see more consistency up and down, which is positive to see as a coach," Davis added. "Defensively, we have a solid pitching staff and an infield and outfield that play great supporting roles."
The Comets (1-3) mustered just three hits courtesy of Karleigh Nelson, Gracie Hanner, and Caydence Vermillion. Oakwood's only opportunity to score came in the top of the third inning, loading the bases with Olivia Fegett on third, Nelson on second, and Gracie Hanner on first.
With two outs already on the board, Gracie Enos popped out to Rockets' Ruby Tarr at shortstop, erasing the threat.
Lindy Bates earned the pitching win. The senior struck out five batters. Meanwhile, Vermillion took the loss for the Comets.
"This team is fun to watch and hungry to see success," Davis said. "They have worked long and hard to reach this point. They are ready to see what this season has to offer."
Yesterday, Unity Junior High School announced the names of students who achieved honor roll and high honor roll status during the second quarter. Congratulations to the students who earned the requisite grade point average to celebrate the honor.
The students named below earned recognition for their academic performance and attention to excellence at Unity High School. Congratulations to each on their exceptional scholastic effort in the first semester.
CLINTON - In their first game following the Thanksgiving holiday, the Unity girls basketball team struggled to gel on offense, falling 54-30 on the road to Clinton on Monday night. The Rockets were unable to contain the balanced attack from Clinton's offense while facing difficulty generating scoring opportunities.
After trailing 19-7 after the first quarter, the Unity was unable to generate enough momentum to close the initial gap on the Maroons. The loss drops the Rockets to 4-2 on the season, ending a three-game win streak. Meanwhile, Clinton improved to an identical 4-2 record. The victory marks the second straight win for the Maroons after a pair of tough losses to Deer Creek-Mackinaw and Decatur MacArthur.
The deficit was engineered by Clinton's Clara Dempsey, who poured in a game-high 16 points. Teammates Regan Filkin and Avery Smith added nine points each, while Lilah Cluver contributed eight to round out the team's scoring effort. The victory marks Clinton’s second consecutive win after two earlier losses against Deer Creek-Mackinaw and Decatur MacArthur.
For Unity, seniors Lauren Haas and Clair Meharry each scored nine points, providing much of the Rockets' offensive output. However, the team couldn’t find consistent scoring support, with McKinley Weller and Mackenzie Pound adding three points each. Josie Cler, Grace Bickers, and Emily Decker scored two points apiece.
The loss marked a temporary setback for the Rockets, who now turn their focus to a four-game home stand starting tonight against Cissna Park. The Rockets look to rebound by capitalizing on their home-court advantage, facing Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond on Thursday before hosting Urbana next Monday and Watseka the following Saturday.
