BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Union County High School’s baseball team saw its season come to an end against Lafayette for the third straight year as the host and top seed Hornets defeated the second seed Tigers 2-1 in the second game of the best-of-three Region 3-Rural championship series on May 6.
The Tigers, who lost 7-2 in the series’ first game on May 6, have now lost in the regional finals for the fourth straight season.
Lafayette (24-2) advances to the state semifinals, which will be played on Wednesday, May 14.
Union (14-16) put a runner on with one out when Devin Diggs was hit by a pitch. Diggs, however, was caught stealing second, followed by a strikeout that ended the inning.
The Hornets’ Hyatt Richardson led off the bottom of the first by reaching on an error. Brayden Richardson walked before Garrett Taylor hit into a fielder’s choice. Brayden Richardson was put out at second, leaving runners at the corners. Taylor was then caught stealing by Union catcher Kacen Thomassen for the inning’s second out.
Lafayette, though, would put a run on the board when Ethan Tuten hit a 3-0 pitch into right field for a single that brought Hyatt Richardson home. The Hornets put another runner on when Trevor Byrd was hit by a pitch, but the Tigers got out of the damage without any more damage when Thomassen caught a foul pop-up.
Trenton Klein drew a walk to lead off the Tigers’ half of the second, but a Kendall Carter ground ball turned into a double play. A ground out then ended the inning.
The Tigers had two outs and no one on in the fifth when Jake Walker hit a ground ball and reached on an error. Ayden Androlevich then singled into center field, but a fly out left the runners stranded.
Lafayette scored what would be the deciding run in the bottom of the fifth. Lathan Garrard walked and stole second before advancing to third on a Hyatt Richardson single. Brayden Richardson walked to load the bases for Taylor, who ground into a fielder’s choice that resulted in the Tigers recording the force out at home. Tuten then stepped to the plate and hit a sacrifice fly to score Hyatt Richardson and make it 2-0.
The top of the sixth again saw the Tigers facing two outs with no one on. Diggs walked after falling behind 0-2 in the count and then scored on an Erick Lasseter single. A lineout ended the inning, leaving Union trailing 2-1.
A ground out started the top of the seventh, but Union’s Jake Walker followed with a line-drive single into center field. Androlevich, after working the count to 2-2, fouled off two straight pitches before taking two straight balls to draw a walk.
That put an end to the night for Lafayette starting pitcher Hyatt Richardson, who allowed four hits and struck out seven. Taylor took to the mound and threw just one pitch, which resulted in a ground ball that led to a game-ending double play.
Diggs started on the mound for the Tigers, giving up just three hits through four innings.
Carter allowed no hits in two innings of relief.
