Telegraph Staff Writer
Jay Cohen hit a three-run triple as part of an eight-run fourth inning as the second-seed Union County High School baseball team defeated fourth-seed Hilliard 12-2 in 4.5 innings to win the District 6-1A championship on May 5 in Fort White.
It was the Tigers’ sixth straight appearance in the district championship game and just the second time they won it. They also won the title in 2018.
“It always feels good to be district champion,” Head Coach Travis Rimes said.
Union (14-11) will host a Region 3 semifinal game on Tuesday, May 10. The time and opponent are to be determined.
Hilliard (18-7) took a 2-0 lead. Kaden Hobbs reached on an error in the top of the first, advanced all the way to third on another error and scored on a double by Braden Bentley. Then, in the second, Brayden Allen, who walked, scored on a single by Hobbs.
The Tigers got on the board in the bottom of the second when Tre’von Lee doubled, moved to third on an Ayden Elixson single and scored on Eli Rimes’ sacrifice bunt.
Union took a 4-2 lead in the third. Quinten Rawls and Cohen reached on walks before a Lee single scored Rawls. Elixson then singled to plate two.
After a slow start, the Tigers were beginning to find their groove.
“We kind of settled down after (Hilliard scored twice),” Coach Rimes said. “We started seeing the ball, made them run through pitchers and got on a roll.”
Union was certainly rolling in the fourth inning. The Tigers loaded the bases when Trevor Holtzendorf and Jake O’Steen walked and Rawls was hit by a pitch. Cohen then stepped to the plate and delivered a triple that put Union ahead 7-2. Lee and Elixson hit back-to-back singles to drive in a run each. After Rimes and Blake Agner were hit by pitches, Holtzendorf came up to bat again, hitting a two-run double. A Riggs Davis ground out enabled courtesy runner Devin Diggs to score the inning’s eighth run.
Cohen and Elixson, who went 2 for 2 and 3 for 3, respectively, had three RBI each. Lee, who went 3 for 3, and Holtzendorf each had two RBI, while Davis and Rimes each had one.
Ethan Moody earned the win, giving up four hits and three walks, while striking out seven.
Moody has missed the majority of the season as far as from a pitching standpoint. He broke a bone in his wrist while batting in the first game of the season. After a five-week absence, he returned to pitch approximately a game and a half before missing another week due to sun poisoning.
The district championship game was his first action since his latest setback. Coach Rimes said he knew Moody would be a little rusty at first, but he told his pitcher to just focus on pitching. The rest of the team would help him out by playing defense behind him and getting hits.
“We’re going to help you out,” Rimes said his told Moody.
Rimes said he liked what he saw from Moody as the game progressed.
“Once we started hitting, then he came in and started hitting his pitches,” Rimes said. “He did what he had to do then.”
