BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Union County High School’s softball team competed in the March 1-2 Santa Fe Raiders Invitational in Alachua, going 2-1 before weather put a halt to the Tigers’ game against host Santa Fe.
The Tigers (3-2) opened with a 10-6 win over Lafayette, scoring all of their runs in the first two innings.
Union’s half of the first began with three consecutive doubles hit by Emma Handley, Leanne Dicks and Mackenzie Orton, which put the Tigers up 2-0. Brooke Hunt and Mia Kent each hit an RBI single, while Jaydin Alvarez drove in another run on a sacrifice fly.
The Tigers got one RBI each from Alvarez, Dicks, Hunt, Orton and Shyla Crowe in pushing another five runs across in the second.
Orton and Handley finished 3 for 3 and 3 for 4, respectively.
Crowe started in the circle, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits and one walk through three innings.
Makenzie Radford pitched the final two innings, giving up one run and three hits.
The Tigers were held to two hits in their second game on March 1, losing 12-1 to Williston, a Class 1A playoff qualifier last season.
Union scored its only run in the bottom of the first. Handley hit a leadoff double, followed by walks to Orton and Crowe. Hunt drew another walk, which forced a run in.
The Tigers rebounded in their first game on March 2, with Alvarez driving in what would prove to be the winning run in a 6-5 win over 6A Lake Gibson in eight innings.
Union trailed 4-3 entering the seventh. Alvarez hit a leadoff single, stole second and advanced to third on a Handley fly ball. She scored on an Orton bunt.
The Braves led off the bottom of the inning with a double and had the winning run on third base with one out. Pop-ups to third baseman Hunt and shortstop Handley sent the game into the extra inning.
Campbell Webb was placed on second base for the Tigers to begin the eighth (each team begins its half of an extra inning with a runner on second). An error on a ground ball hit by Crowe allowed Crowe to reach safely and Webb to advance to third. Hunt reached on a dropped third strike to load the bases for Brooke Burgess, who hit a single to score Webb. One out later, an Alvarez line drive allowed courtesy runner Jailyn Simmons to score, putting Union ahead 6-4.
Lake Gibson hit an RBI single with one out in the bottom of the inning to make it a one-run game, but a pop-up to third and a ground out to first baseman Kent ended the game.
Orton went 3 for 4 with an RBI, while Burgess and Crowe each went 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Handley went 2 for 5.
Crowe pitched all eight innings, giving up two earned runs on nine hits and one walk.
Union began a game against host Santa Fe, but the teams got only three innings in, with the Raiders leading 9-5.
The Tigers entered the tournament off a 3-1 loss to last season’s Class 1A state runner-up Branford on Feb. 27 in Lake Butler.
It was tied 1-1 until the Bucs scored two in the sixth, taking advantage of a single and error and a double.
Union was held to four hits, with Webb driving in the lone run.
Crowe, who pitched a complete game, allowed just one earned run along with five hits and one walk.
The Tigers travel to play 6A Buchholz on Tuesday, March 5, at 7 p.m. and will host Chiefland on Thursday, March 7, at 6 p.m. Union then hosts Bell on Monday, March 11, at 6 p.m.
