Telegraph Staff Writer
The Union County High School baseball team spent part of spring break playing in the Prospect Select Spring Training tournament, going 1-2 at the March 21-23 event at the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Viera.
Union (5-6) opened play with a 10-run win before losing two games by a total of three runs.
On March 21, Ayden Elixson and Tre’von Lee each hit a two-run triple as the Tigers defeated Coral Springs 12-2 in five innings.
Coral Springs scored two runs in the top of the first, but in the bottom of the inning, Union answered with three runs — two of which scored on Lee’s triple.
The Colts had two hits in the first inning, but were held to three the rest of the way by Tigers pitcher Eli Rimes, who gave up five hits and two walks, while striking out five in the complete-game effort.
It was a 5-2 game when the Tigers scored four in the fourth. Elixson, Lee and Jay Cohen each hit an RBI single in the inning, while Blake Agner drove in a run with a double.
The fifth inning consisted of an RBI double by Cohen and Elixson’s two-run triple.
Elixson and Lee went 2 for 3 and 3 for 4, respectively. Each finished with three RBI.
Cohen went 3 for 4 with two RBI, while Rimes was 2 for 3 with an RBI.
Agner finished with two RBI, while Bryson Huggins hit a double.
Union played Green Farms Academy (Westport, Connecticut) on March 22, with its seventh-inning rally coming up short in a 5-3 loss.
Lee plated the game’s first run off a single in the top of the first, but Green Farms took advantage of three consecutive singles, two walks and a sacrifice fly to score three in the second.
Green Farms added to its lead with RBI singles in the third and fifth innings.
The Tigers loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the seventh. Jake O’Steen and Cohen were each hit by a pitch, while Lee walked. After a strikeout for the first out, Rimes hit into a fielder’s choice. O’Steen scored, while Lee was put out at second, leaving the Tigers with runners at the corners.
Jeff Cook walked as Union loaded the bases again. Trevor Holtzendorf drew a walk to force a run in, but the rally ended with a strikeout during the next at-bat.
Lee went 2 for 3, while Huggins hit a double.
Quinten Rawls had a solid outing on the mound in the Tigers’ next game, but the result was a 1-0 loss to Pembroke Pines’ Flanagan on March 23.
Rawls threw 5.1 innings, giving up a run on a double and a single in the bottom of the sixth. He allowed four hits and no walks, while striking out six.
Agner went 2 for 3, but the rest of the Tigers combined for just three hits — one of which was a double by Cohen.
The Tigers travel to play Keystone Heights on Tuesday, March 29, at 7 p.m. Union then travels to play Oakleaf on Wednesday, March 30, at 6 p.m. before returning home to play Oak Hall on Monday, April 4, at 6 p.m.
