Telegraph Staff Writer
Union County High School’s baseball team got four run-scoring doubles as part of a nine-run fifth inning as the Tigers broke a 5-5 tie and defeated visiting Baldwin 14-5 on Feb. 23.
The Tigers (1-1) led 5-2 before Baldwin scored three runs in the top of the fifth on two doubles and two singles.
Quinten Rawls led off Union’s half of the fifth with a single and then scored on Tre’von Lee’s double. Jay Cohen, who hit a two-run homer in the first, was intentionally walked. Ayden Elixson then hit an RBI double to make the score 7-5.
Two outs later, Trevor Holtzendorf drew a walk to load the bases. Luke Johns then walked to force a run in. Jeff Cook was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in another run before Rawls drove in two runs on a double. Two more runs scored when Lee reached on a dropped third strike. The Tigers then scored their final run when Elixson hit his second RBI double.
Rawls went 3 for 4 with three RBI, while Elixson went 2 for 3 with two RBI.
Cohen and Lee each finished with two RBI, while Cook, Johns and Eli Rimes each had one.
Lee, who got the start on the mound, gave up two runs in 3.2 innings on four hits and two walks. He had five strikeouts.
Rawls and Blake Agner combined to give up no runs in the final two innings, with Agner, striking out three of the four batters he faced in the seventh.
The Tigers entered the game off a season-opening 8-6 loss to visiting Dixie County on Feb. 22.
Dixie took a 5-3 lead, scoring all five runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Union tied it in the bottom of the fifth when Holtzendorf hit a two-run, two-out double.
In the bottom of the sixth, Jake Walker hit a leadoff single and scored on a Cohen double to put the Tigers ahead 6-5.
The Bears loaded the bases on an error and two singles with one out in the top of the seventh. Another single pushed a run across to tie the score, while an error allowed another run to score. One Dixie runner was thrown out at home trying to score, but another runner did score on a passed ball to make it an 8-6 game.
Union had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Agner and Walker each drew a walk, while Rawls was hit by a pitch.
Dixie ended the game with a strikeout.
Cohen went 2 for 3 with two RBI, while Jake O’Steen was 2 for 2 with a triple and two RBI.
Johns started on the mound, giving up two runs on three hits and one walk through four innings. He had four strikeouts.
The Tigers play at Baker County on Tuesday, March 1, at 6:30 p.m. and will travel to play Fort White on Thursday, March 3, at 6 p.m. Union hosts Valdosta on Saturday, March 5, at 1 p.m. before playing two straight road games: at Columbia on Monday, March 7, at 7 p.m. and at Oakleaf on Tuesday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m.
