Photo by Kim North Linsly’s Haley Heitz slides into third base ahead of a tag attempt from Union Local’s Brynn Jennewein during a game Friday.

WHEELING — Baeleigh Burwell retired the first 15 Union Local batters she faced, and then was part of back-to-back home runs as Linsly recorded a 7-1 win over the visiting Jets Friday on Holloway Field.

Burwell allowed just one hit, chalked up 10 strikeouts, issued no walks and drew praise from both head coaches.

“My hats off to her,” Union Local (6-4) head coach Melissa Lahna said. “Hats off to their entire team because they run on the ball and do the right things. They execute the little things. That’s what I just told my team, we need to execute the little things.”

“She has more than enough ability and she’s starting to put it all together,” Linsly (8-5) head coach Paul Recrosio said of his ace in the circle. “She’s been really consistent for us all season. Today she was really good.”

Burwell struck out at least one batter in each of the seven innings, with the exception of the seventh. She fanned the side in the fifth and, not only did she have a perfect game going, Union Local hadn’t hit the ball out of the infield.

“I didn’t even realize I had a perfect game going,” the soft-spoken Burwell said. “I just go out and pitch.”

She lost the perfecto – and no-hitter – when Hannah Merritt laced a full-count double to the gap in right-center leading off the sixth. Ava Lucas followed with a sacrifice bunt that was thrown wildly to third, allowing Merritt to race home, making it 3-1. However, Burwell set down the next three batters to escape without further damage.

“Luke Bryan sings ‘Rain Is a Good Thing’ but it’s not for the Union Local Jets,” Lahna noted. “It just shuts our bats down.”

“That kind of opened things up for us,” Recrosio said of the two-run fifth that gave the Cadets a 3-0 advantage and was aided by a trio of errors by the Jets. “That’s kind of what we’ve been working on … putting the ball in play and using our speed to make the opponents make plays.”

Lexi Finley reached on an error to open the fifth and went to second when a fly ball to right-center by Brooklyn Edge was dropped for another error. Both runners advanced on a passed ball and Finley alertly raced home on a Burwell comebacker. Sophia Monk sent a roller down the third base line which was fielded and thrown to first for the out, however, Edge sprinted home with another run.

“I thought we contended with them for a couple of innings, but then we had a bad inning in the field. We didn’t check a runner at third twice, and they scored both times,” she pointed out. “You have to do the little things. When things like that happen and you’re not hitting the ball … . It’ll change though.

“Remember, the season isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Hopefully, we can get some good weather and get back on the horse.”

Edge and Burwell connected for back-to-back jacks in the bottom of the sixth. Edge sent an 0-1 pitch over the fence in right-center and Burwell followed with a moon shot to deep left-center.

Finley singled in Haley Heitz in the first inning with two outs.

Kiera Gregor struck out two, walked a pair of allowed eight hits in taking the loss.

The win gives the Cadets some breathing room as far as the OVAC Tom Bechtel Class 3A playoffs are concerned. They entered in fourth place but had a pretty big lead over No. 5 Fort Frye. The cut-off is today, with semifinal action beginning Monday.

Linsly travels to Brooke today for a single game at 11 a.m.