The Union Pines High School softball team is putting together a historical season. The team finished the regular season with a perfect 21-0 overall and 14-0 in conference play.
The Vikings have never completed an undefeated season. That alone puts this year’s team on the brink of something truly special. While past teams have set a high standard, including a perfect 12-0 conference run in 2010-11 and three straight conference championships from 2011 to 2013, this group is chasing history.
The last time the Vikings secured a regular-season conference title was during the 2012-13 campaign. Since then, there have been strong teams and competitive seasons, but nothing quite like what’s unfolding now.
This year’s team has combined dominance at the plate, outscoring opponents 167-44 over the course of the regular season. That kind of margin doesn’t happen by accident; it reflects a team that controls games early and rarely lets opponents hang around. In fact, their closest contest came back in March, a narrow one-run victory over Harnett Central, proving that even when tested, they can find ways to win.
One contributing factor to this historic run belongs to Kileigh Cameron, who etched her name into the Union Pines record books in a big way. Cameron now holds both the all-time career home run record and the single-season home run record, launching her 14th of the season against Lee County in Friday’s regular-season finale. Her power at the plate has been a driving force behind the Vikings’ offensive success and a key reason why this team has separated itself from the pack.
As the postseason begins, Union Pines High School enters the Carolina Pines 6A Conference Tournament as the top seed. They also carry significant recognition statewide, currently ranked No. 4 in North Carolina’s 6A classification and No. 17 overall across all classifications.
The Vikings will open conference tournament play Monday, April 26, hosting winless Southern Lee at 6 p.m. As regular-season conference champions, we will find out this week if they will be crowned conference tournament champions.
Photo provided by Union Pines Athletics.
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~Article by Curtis Self, a Sandhills Sentinel reporter and owner of Moore Daily Sports. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
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