BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Jaydin Alvarez hit a three-run homer to help the Union County High School softball team build a 10-2 lead in an eventual 10-6 win over fourth seed Bell in the April 29 quarterfinals of the District 6-1A tournament, which is being hosted by Branford.
The fifth seed Tigers (14-8) will play top seed Fort White (11-4) in a semifinal game on Tuesday, April 30, at 5 p.m.
Union scored the game’s first runs in a four-run third inning. The Tigers loaded the bases with singles from Mia Kent and Jailyn Simmons and a walk by Alvarez. Emma Handley drove in a run and reached on an error. Leanne Dicks hit an RBI single before Simmons scored on a passed ball. Shyla Crowe made it 4-0 when she drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
After Bell (12-13) answered with two runs in the bottom of the third, Union scored three runs in each of the next two innings.
Brooke Hunt and Kent both singled to start the fourth. Alvarez then homered to left field to put the Tigers up 7-2.
Mackenzie Orton reached on an error to start the fifth. After a Crowe single, Campbell Webb hit an RBI double. Hunt and Alvarez, who finished with four RBI overall, hit back-to-back run-scoring singles to make it a 10-2 game.
Alvarez finished 2 for 2, while Hunt, Kent and Webb each went 2 for 4.
Crowe, Dicks, Handley, Hunt and Webb each had one RBI.
The Tigers entered the tournament off a 12-6 win over visiting Chiefland on April 23 and a 13-3 win at North Marion on April 25.
Union scored all but two of its runs against Chiefland in the first two innings.
Handley led off what was a five-run first with a triple. Dicks and Orton walked to load the bases before Handley scored on a passed ball. Crowe drove in a run on a sacrifice fly. Webb was hit by a pitch, while Hunt walked to load the bases again. Kent walked to force a run in, while an Alvarez ground out scored another. The first run scored when Hunt crossed home plate on a passed ball.
The Tigers scored five runs in the second. Dicks reached on a fielder’s choice, while Orton walked. Crowe reached on an error, which scored both runners. A Webb single and a Hunt walk loaded the bases. Alvarez walked to force a run in before Simmons hit a two-run single.
Crowe finished with three RBI, while Alvarez and Simmons each had two. Kent had one RBI.
Hunt and Handley went 2 for 2 and 2 for 3, respectively, while Webb went 2 for 4.
Skyler Moates pitched a complete game, giving up one earned run and seven hits.
Crowe pitched a complete game in the win over North Marion, giving up one earned run, three hits and one walk, while striking out three.
The Tigers led 8-2 after two innings.
A five-run first began with a Handley single. Orton and Crowe then hit back-to-back RBI doubles. Webb singled before Hunt drove in two runs on another single. Kent ended the inning’s scoring with an RBI double.
Handley led off the second with a double and scored on a Dicks single. Orton reached on an error, which scored a run. Crowe then drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.
Kent finished with three RBI, going 2 for 3. Crowe, Dicks and Hunt each had two RBI, with Dicks going 2 for 4.
Handley and Webb went 2 for 2 and 2 for 3, respectively.
