BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Host Lafayette took an 8-0 lead in the second and got a walkoff grand slam from Hunter Vann in the bottom of the fifth as the Union County High School baseball team lost 14-3 in the May 13 Region 3-1A championship game.
Lafeyette (21-4) scored nine runs total off three home runs in advancing to the Wednesday, May 17, state semifinals, where the Hornets will play Holmes County (11-18).
The Tigers, playing for the Region 3 title for the second time in three years, ended their season with an 18-9 record.
Dawson Mock and Vann drew back-to-back walks to open the bottom of the first for the Hornets. Union starting pitcher Tre’Von Lee then struck out two straight batters, but the Tigers committed an error on a throw to third on Mock’s successful steal attempt, allowing him to score and put Lafeyette up 1-0. Lee got out of the inning by striking out Hyatt Richardson on a full count.
Union’s Erick Lasseter was down 1-2 in the count before drawing a one-out walk in the second. Blake Agner then hit a two-out double. A foul pop-up for the third out left the runners stranded.
Lafayette’s Garrett Taylor led off the bottom of the second by reaching on an error. Coen Severance was down 0-2 count, but drew a walk. After a strikeout, Mock walked to load the bases. Lee recorded another strikeout before Matthew Jenkins, Lane Brock and Karlos Murphy all hit run-scoring singles, with Murphy’s hit driving in two runs for a 5-0 lead. Ayden Elixson moved from first base to take over pitching duties, but the first batter he faced (Richardson) hit a three-run homer to put Lafayette up 8-0.
The Tigers got on the board in the third. Elixson and Tucker Hardee drew back-to-back walks with two outs. Lee’s double scored both runners to make it an 8-2 game.
In the bottom of the third, Elixson threw just five pitches as the Tigers recorded outs on a pop-up, a ground ball and a fly ball.
Union added its final run in the fourth. Agner drew a leadoff walk. Riggs Davis, who entered to run for Agner, advanced to second on a passed ball and then to third on a wild pitch. Hornets pitcher Richardson then had two straight strikeouts before giving up an RBI single to Jeremy Miller. Elixson followed with another single, but Miller was put out trying to advance to third to end the inning.
The Hornets got a leadoff single from Vann to start the bottom of the fourth. Jenkins then drove the first pitch he saw over the fence in left to put Lafayette up 10-3.
Hardee and Lee drew back-to-back walks to give the Tigers two on with no outs in the top of the fifth. Lasseter then lined out to second baseman Richardson. Hardee was caught off second for a double play. A strikeout ended the inning.
Lafayette’s Taylor singled to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Courtesy runner Baylor Johnson was caught in a rundown by pitcher Lasseter, but that would be the only out the Tigers would record in the inning. After Severance was hit by a pitch, Johntavious Cook singled. Mock walked to load the bases, setting the stage for Vann’s game-ending grand slam.
The Tigers were held to four hits by pitchers Richardson (four innings) and Taylor (one inning).
