The Northeastern softball team defeated Union County 7-3 on Wednesday, April 17, at Liberty. The Tri-Eastern Conference loss snapped a 35-game Patriot conference win streak. The Patriots’ last conference loss came on May 4, 2018. To make the win even sweeter, first year Northeastern head coach Tara Williams played for Union County, and it was her first return trip to face her old school.
The game was tied at 1-1 after two innings, before the Knights scored two runs in the top of the third inning to take the lead for good. Knight freshman Mackenzie Johnson pitched the first six innings, scattering five hits and striking out four, to earn the win. Clare Lopeman came in the seventh inning to nail down the save. Bailey Mathews took the loss.
Karri Gammon, Jayden Hildebrand, Lopeman and Alexis Russell each collected two hits for the winners. Gammon homered and drove in three runs.
Northeastern (3-1,1-0 TEC) 0 1 2 0 1 3 0 7
Union County (6-3, 3-1 TEC) 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 3
Northeastern hits: Gammon (2), Hildebrand (2), Johnson, Lopeman (2), Emma Neeley, Lillian Null, Russell (2), Union County hits: Mackenzie Carter, Allie Gray (2), Whitney King (2), Mathews (2), Natalie Long.
A version of this article appeared in the April 24 2024 print edition of the Western Wayne News.