BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Union County High School’s baseball team played the top team in Class 2A as well as a Class 7A school as part of an 0-3 outing in Prospect Select’s High School Classic, a three-day tournament in Viera.
The Rural Class Tigers (9-10) began tournament play with a 13-2 loss to Cardinal Newman on March 24. The Crusaders are number one in Class 2A.
Union was held to two hits, one of which was an RBI single hit by Erick Lasseter.
On March 25, Union and 7A Cypress Bay were tied after seven, but the Lightning won 3-2 after scoring a run in the bottom of the eighth.
The Tigers scored first. Trenton Klein hit a single in the second inning, stole second and moved to third on Kendall Carter’s ground out. He then scored on Fisher Thomassen’s ground out.
Cypress Bay scored two runs in the third. Diego Baron’s two-out single scored runners who reached on a single and an error.
Union tied it in the fourth. Carter walked, advanced to second on Thomassen’s ground out and then scored on Brezdyn Browning’s two-out single.
The Tigers had just one hit and one base runner in the final four innings.
Union finished with four hits overall.
Cypress Bay loaded the bases with a walk, a single and a hit batter with no outs in the eighth. The winning run scored on a bunt by Marshall Persteins.
Starting pitcher Kacen Thomassen gave up two unearned runs and four hits in four innings. Fisher Thomassen and Ayden Androlevich each allowed no runs and one hit in one inning of work each.
The Tigers’ final game was a 7-1 loss to Chaminade-Madonna on March 26. The Lions are ranked 11th in Class 2A.
Union, which trailed 7-0, had a chance to score multiple runs in the bottom of the seventh. Jeffrey Brugh singled, Devin Diggs walked and Jake Walker singled to load the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Foster Smith ground into a fielder’s choice in which Walker was put out at second. Brugh scored on the play, though.
Bo Wilson drew a walk to load the bases again, but a strikeout ended the game.
Brugh batted 2 for 4, but the rest of the team combined for three hits.
The Tigers return to action with a road game against Baker County on Tuesday, April 1, at 6:30 p.m. They then travel to play Santa Fe on Thursday, April 3, at 7 p.m. before returning home to play West Nassau on Friday, April 4, at 6:30 p.m.
Union hosts Lafayette on Tuesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. and then hosts The Villages on Wednesday, April 9, at 6:30 p.m.
