Caldwell County’s run atop the Second Region baseball mountain came to an end Monday at the hands of a familiar foe. Union County, who were eliminated by the Tigers in the region title game each of the last two seasons, scored seven times in the fifth inning and survived two rain delays to hand Caldwell a 10-6 loss in the region quarterfinals at Christian County High.
Union County had handed Caldwell one of their two losses to a Second Region school earlier in the year and came out the aggressor in the first inning. Coy Burns scored the game’s first run with an RBI double and later scored on a balk.
Caldwell answered with two runs in their half of the first when Jase Ryan Felker doubled and scored on a groundout. A Union error tied the game at 2-2.
Union County added a run in the third inning when Mason Welden hit a ground ball that appeared to hit the foot of a Brave baserunner heading to third. Tristan Mannahan scored on the play after the umpires ruled the ball did not hit Riley Jones on the base paths.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the first weather delay occurred with Caldwell at the plate and lasted 90 minutes.
The fifth inning proved to be the undoing for the Tigers. The Braves used four hits and three hit batters to score seven runs. Trey Hutchison had a two-run single, and Cade Duncan followed with a two-run double for the key hits.
Caldwell got three runs back in the sixth on an RBI single by Ty Ramey and a two-run triple by Gabe East.
As the game moved to the bottom of the seventh inning, the second rain delay occurred, this time lasting 35 minutes. Tate VanHooser had an RBI single for Caldwell’s final run of the game.
Felker took the loss for Caldwell, although he didn’t pitch badly. He allowed two earned runs in four innings with six strikeouts and three walks. He did not return to the mound after the first weather delay.
Tiger ace Shane Burns did not pitch in the game. Afterward, Caldwell Head Coach Bradley Stallins said he didn’t want to pitch Burns on three days’ rest after a 117-pitch performance in the district title win over Madisonville Thursday.
At the plate, East was the only Tiger with two hits. Union outhit Caldwell 9-6.
Caldwell County, who was looking to become the first school to win three straight Second Region titles since Christian County in 2004, sees their season end with a record of 23-7. The departing senior class put together a four-year record of 101-32, four district titles, two All-A Region titles, and two Second Region titles.
Union County (18-20) will advance to the semifinals where they will play Trigg County.
