Telegraph Staff Writer
Host Columbia used a pair of extra-base hits to score all of its runs and defeat the Union County High School baseball team 4-2 on March 7.
The Tigers (3-3) fell behind 2-0 when Columbia took advantage of a single, a walk and a two-run triple in the bottom of the first.
Union cut into the lead in the top of the second. Jeff Cook, a courtesy runner for Blake Agner, who reached on a single, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on a passed ball. Columbia, though, answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning when two batters who singled scored on a double.
Jake O’Steen scored the Tigers’ second run in the third. He was hit by a pitch and stole second and third before scoring on Tre’von Lee’s single.
Union had just four hits, one of which was a double by Ayden Elixson.
The Tigers were coming off a week in which they went 2-1. It began with a 6-3 win over host Baker County on March 1, despite the fact Union had just four hits.
Lee hit an RBI double as part of a two-run first, while Union added runs in later innings on sacrifice fly balls hit by Agner and Quinten Rawls and a pair of ground outs by Elixson and Lee.
Starting pitcher Luke Johns went five innings, giving up one run on five hits.
Eli Rimes threw the final two innings
On March 3, Jay Cohen drove in two runs in a four-run first inning as the Tigers defeated host Fort White 6-2.
Cohen’s first-inning single scored Rawls, who was hit by a pitch, and O’Steen, who singled. Cohen scored on a Lee triple, while Lee eventually scored on an Elixson single.
Rawls and Lee finished 2 for 2 and 2 for 4 at the plate.
The Tigers had two extra-base hits. Besides Lee’s triple, they also got a double from Agner.
Lee pitched the first three innings, giving up two runs on two hits.
Rawls, in four innings of relief, gave up one hit, while striking out five.
Union hosted Valdosta on March 5, losing 6-5 despite two-RBI outings by Lee and Rimes.
The Tigers took a 3-2 lead in the third, with Lee and Rimes hitting one-run and two-run singles, respectively.
Union trailed 5-3 before tying it up in the fourth, which began with back-to-back singles by Trevor Holtzendorf and Jake Walker. After two fly ball outs, Holtzendorf scored on a wild pitch, while Walker scored on a Lee single.
Valdosta scored the winning run in the fifth when its leadoff batter, who walked, crossed home plate on an error.
Lee went 3 for 4 with two RBI, while Rimes, who had two RBI, and Holtzendorf each went 2 for 3.
The Tigers play at Oakleaf tonight at 6:30 p.m. and will host Columbia on Thursday, March 10, at 7 p.m. Union travels to play Valdosta on Saturday, March 12, at 1 p.m. before returning home for games against University Christian on Monday, March 14, at 6 p.m. and Bradford on Tuesday, March 15, at 6:30 p.m.
