Shelby Fraker

FOREST CITY — The Iowa Class 2A No. 6-ranked North Union Warriors needed only four innings to breeze to a 12-0 run-rule rout over the Forest City Indians during prep softball action Friday night in Forest City.

Ace right-hander Emily Meyer recorded a game-best seven strikeouts and issued only one walk in firing a two-hit shutout for the Warriors. The hard-throwing right-hander faced just two batters over the minimum four-inning limit to earn the complete-game win.

Ironically, Meyer issued a rare base-on-balls to Forest City catcher Brooklyn Craft with one out in the bottom of the second inning only to watch as North Union catcher Shelby Fraker picked off the Indians’ runner straying too far from first base.

Fraker also established the Warriors’ high-octane offensive production by going 3-for-4 in the batter’s box and scored a pair of runs.

Fraker triggered North Union’s four-run outburst during the top of the first inning. The Mercurial signal-caller drilled a one-out single before swiping both second and third bases.

Forest City starting pitcher Hayden Brown then issued back-to-back walks to Olivia Von Bank and Meyer to load the bases. Ainsley Ulrich smacked a single to left field to plate both Fraker and Von Bank for a quick 2-0 lead.

Brylie Deim, Meyer’s courtesy runner, later crossed the plate on a wild pitch before Ainsley Ulrich scored on Shallie Walders’ RBI groundout.

Olivia Price, who went 2-for-3, triggered North Union’s three-run scoring surge by legging out a bunt hit with one out in the top of the second.

One out later, Fraker kept the Warriors’ motor revving by hammering a single before Price wheeled around the bases to score on Von Bank’s line-drive RBI double down the third base line.

Meyer then brought home both Fraker and Von Bank by cranking a two-run double to the left-center gap to extend the green-and-white’s lead to 7-0.

Ella Ulrich utilized her track speed to serve as the Warriors’ catalyst during the top of the third. Ulrich legged out a bunt hit, sprinted to third base on Kyla Irmiter’s single up the middle and scored on Price’s RBI single to center.

North Union tacked on another run via a wild pitcher before Fraker lined a run-scoring single to center for a 10-0 advantage after two and a half innings completed.

After Meyer struck out the first two Forest City batters in the bottom of the third, Sasha Johnson and Emma Anderson spoiled her no-hit bid by connecting for back-to-back singles. Meyer then got a flyout to thwart the threat.

The Warriors combined small-ball with power to generate two more runs in the fourth to create a 12-run deficit.

Ainsley Ulrich reached on an error before Walders hammered an RBI double off the outfield fence to extend the visitors’ lead to 11-0. Beth Streuber later lofted a sacrifice fly to give North Union the exact amount of runs to exit the park early.

Meyer added two more strikeouts during a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth inning to close out the win.

Ella Ulrich and Price each collected two of the Warriors’ 13 hits.

North Union (14-3) opens the Newman Catholic tournament against Osage at 10 a.m. today in Mason City, Iowa, before facing the hosts in a 1:30 p.m. contest.