BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Jeffrey Brugh, Erick Lasseter and Jake Walker combined to drive in 10 runs in the Union County High School baseball team’s 12-0, five-inning win over visiting Branford on April 29 to record a 2-0 sweep in a best-of-three Region 3-Rural semifinal series.
The second seed Tigers (14-14) will now play top seed Lafayette (22-2) for the Region 3 championship in a best-of-three series that begins Monday, May 5, at 7 p.m. in Mayo. Lafayette, which swept Aucilla Christian in the semifinals, will host the second game on Tuesday, May 6, at 7 p.m. If a third game is necessary, it will be hosted by Union on Thursday, May 8, at 7 p.m.
Union was put out in the semifinals of the District 6 tournament by Branford, but in the two Region 3 semifinal games, the Tigers outscored the third seed Buccaneers 21-1.
Branford finished its season with a 21-9 record.
Erick Lasseter threw all five innings in the second game of the series, allowing one hit.
The Tigers scored a run in the first, with Brugh drawing a leadoff walk, stealing second and then going home on a Lasseter single.
With one out and no one on in the second, Kacen Thomassen hit a double. Courtesy runner Evan Roberts advanced to third on a wild pitch before Brezdyn Browning was hit by a pitch. Brugh hit into a fielder’s choice that resulted in Roberts scoring and Browning being put out at second. Brugh reached first safely.
The inning continued as Lasseter and Walker hit back-to-back run-scoring singles to put the Tigers up 4-0.
Thomassen hit his second double in the third inning. After Browning was hit by a pitch, Brugh hit an RBI single. The throw home in an attempt to put courtesy runner Roberts out got away from the catcher, which allowed Browning to score. Brugh advanced to second on the play and then scored on a Lasseter double. Walker drew a walk before Trenton Klein hit a single that scored courtesy runner Caiden Polinsky, making it 8-0.
The Tigers pushed their final four runs across in the fourth. Thomassen reached on an error, while Browning was again hit by a pitch. Brugh hit a ground ball and reached on an error, with courtesy runner Roberts scoring. After Lasseter was intentionally walked to load the bases, Walker, who went 3 for 3 with four RBI, drove the first pitch he saw into center field to score all three base runners and put Union up 12-0.
Lasseter finished 3 for 3 with three RBI, while Brugh went 3 for 4 with three RBI.
Klein, who went 3 for 3, had one RBI.
