BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Tre’Von Lee drove in three runs, while Blake Agner and Ayden Elixson both drove in runs on doubles in the Union County High School baseball team’s 9-4 win over Bradford on April 17 in Starke.
Starting pitcher Ethan Moody threw a shutout through his four innings of work, giving up two hits and one walk as the Tigers (14-5) built a 9-0 lead.
Mattox Burgin drove in two runs for Bradford (7-12) as part of a four-run fifth inning.
Union scored two runs in the first after loading the bases on singles by Elixson and Erick Lasseter and a walk drawn by Tucker Hardee. A Preston Bonsall ground ball was fielded by first baseman Kevin Crawford, who threw home to catcher Kacen Thomassen for a force out. With two outs, Lee hit a single that scored Hardee and Lasseter.
The Tigers had no one on with two outs in the second when Jeremy Miller and Elixson hit back-to-back doubles, with Miller scoring on Elixson’s hit. Hardee then delivered a single that scored Elixson and put Union ahead 4-0.
Bradford loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the second. Luke Stucky reached on an error, Thomassen singled and Cason Pilcher drew a walk. A strikeout, a fly out and a baserunner being called out for not tagging up ended the inning with no runs.
Lee was hit by a pitch with one out in the top of the third. He scored on an Agner double.
Union added its final runs in the fourth inning. Miller walked and stole second before Elixson reached on an error. One out later, Lasseter hit a sacrifice fly to score Miller. Preston Bonsall was hit by a pitch before Lee hit an RBI single. Bonsall eventually scored on an error before Agner hit the second of his two RBI doubles.
The Tornadoes got on the board after Moody exited the game, scoring all of their runs in the fifth. Ryland Rike hit a one-out single. Then, with two outs, Ryder Thompson and Jeffrey Brugh each walked to load the bases. Burgin hit a single to score Rike and Thompson. Brugh scored on a Foster Smith double before Burgin was able to score from third on a wild pitch.
Jake Walker, who was one of three pitchers used by Union, finished it off on the mound, giving up one hit and no runs in the final 2.1 innings.
Lee went 3 for 3, while Miller went 2 for 3. Agner, Elixson and Lasseter each went 2 for 4.
Rike and Thomassen each went 2 for 3 for Bradford.
The Tornadoes’ Rike pitched a shutout in three innings of relief, giving up three hits.
Union, which is currently the top-ranked team in the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 1A power poll, entered the game off wins over two Jacksonville schools.
On April 11, Union trailed host University Christian 1-0 until scoring all of its runs in the sixth and winning 4-1.
Elixson, who went 2 for 4, hit a home run to lead off the top of the sixth. Hardee, who walked, scored when Bonsall bunted into a fielder’s choice. Agner drove in the third run on double before courtesy runner Baler Waters (running for Bonsall) scored when Walker hit into a fielder’s choice.
Starting pitcher Lee went five innings, giving up one run on four hits. He had five strikeouts.
Bonsall and Clayton Poppell each pitched one inning, with Bonsall giving up one hit and Poppell allowing none.
On April 14, Union scored four runs in the sixth to defeat host First Coast 6-3.
The Tigers trailed 2-0, but evened it up in the fourth. Elixson and Lee reached on a single and an error, respectively. A Lasseter single loaded the bases before Elixson scored on a Bonsall ground out. Lee later scored when Walker hit into a fielder’s choice.
It was 3-2 in favor of First Coast before the Tigers’ big sixth inning. The bases were loaded with one out when Miller drew a walk to force the tying run in. Elixson, who went 2 for 4, then hit a two-run single, followed by a sacrifice fly by Lee that scored the final run.
Devin Diggs earned the win, giving up three runs, five hits and two walks in 4.2 innings. He had nine strikeouts.
Bonsall pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowing no hits and striking out four.
Union travels to play Columbia on Wednesday, April 19, at 6 p.m. and will host University Christian on Thursday, April 20, at 7 p.m. The Tigers travel to play Baker County on Tuesday, April 25, at 6:30 p.m.
