BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Kacen Thomassen pitched a one-hitter as the Union County High School baseball team advanced to the District 6-1A tournament championship game with an 11-1 semifinal win over sixth seed Hamilton County on April 30.
The second seed Tigers (14-12) will play top seed Lafayette (20-2) for the championship on Wednesday, May 1, at 7 p.m. in Hilliard.
Union scored all but two of its runs in the third inning. With one out, Preston Bonsall singled, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Trenton Klein reached on a fielder’s choice, with Bonsall scoring on the play. After Thomassen was hit by a pitch, Jake Walker hit a two-run single, making it a 4-0 game.
The Tigers scored six more runs in the inning with two outs. Devin Diggs was hit by a pitch before Walker scored on a wild pitch. Riggs Davis hit a single to score Diggs. After Ayden Androlevich was hit by a pitch, Davis stole third and scored on a wild pitch. Dallen Cox walked, followed by a Bonsall two-run double. Klein drove in the ninth run of the inning on a single.
Klein hit a run-scoring single that ended the game in the bottom of the fifth.
Bonsall, who went 2 for 3, was one of four players with two RBI each, joining Davis, Klein and Walker.
Thomassen didn’t give up a hit until the fourth inning. He pitched four innings, allowing just one walk and striking out five.
Davis threw the final inning, giving up no hits.
Union entered the tournament off a 2-1 win over visiting Baker County in their regular-season finale on April 25.
The Tigers got the win despite getting only two hits.
It was 1-0 in favor of Baker when the Tigers tied it in the fourth. Klein reached on an error, while Thomassen was hit by a pitch. After a sacrifice bunt by Walker, Klein scored on a wild pitch with two outs.
The game-winning run occurred in the fifth. Landen Miller reached on a dropped third strike, while Cox and Bonsall both walked to load the bases. Miller was picked off at third, but Klein was hit by a pitch to load the bases again. Thomassen then drew a walk to force a run in.
Starting pitcher Erick Lasseter threw six innings, allowing one run, four hits and no walks, while striking out three.
Diggs threw the final inning, giving up no runs and one walk. He had one strikeout.
