BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Second seed Union County held a 2-1 lead after three innings, but fell 4-2 to third seed Branford in the April 15 semifinals of the District 6-Rural tournament in Lake Butler.
The Tigers (12-14) had only two hits in the final four innings, with both occurring in the bottom of the seventh. Foster Smith had a leadoff single, but Branford recorded two straight outs on a fly out and a strikeout. Jeffrey Brugh got a single off a 1-2 pitch to keep a potential rally alive, but a ground out to second ended the game.
Branford (21-6) will play top seed Lafayette (19-2) for the championship on Thursday, April 17, at UCHS.
Union put the first score on the board in its district semifinal game. Kendall Carter hitting a one-out single, while Smith walked with two outs. Kacen Thomassen hit a single to score Carter before the Bucs got out of the inning with a strikeout.
The Bucs led off the top of the third with back-to-back doubles to tie the score.
Brugh, who batted 2 for 4, led off the bottom of the third with a single, but was put out at second when Erick Lasseter hit into a fielder’s choice. Jake Walker walked before Trenton Klein hit into a fielder’s choice. An error on the play allowed Bo Wilson, who entered to run for Lasseter, to score and put the Tigers up 2-1.
Two errors and a hit batter allowed Branford to tie the score in the fourth.
The Bucs took advantage of two singles, a walk and a wild pitch to score two runs in the sixth.
