Union’s struggles on defense finally caught up with the Yellowjackets this past week.
Union committed 13 errors in two games and gave up 21 unearned runs as New Site won 12-7 and 12-10 to end the Yellowjackets season on Friday.
Union finished the season with a 13-13 record.
New Site 12, Union 7
For Union coach Dustin Hamrick, it was a tough loss to swallow as the Yellowjackets booted away a solid pitching effort from senior Co-Lin signee Casey Morris.
“We played as bad as we have played on defense in the 10 years I have been here,” Hamrick said. “That is real disappointing. The thing about it is we pitched the ball well, and we hit the ball and put up seven runs. I thought going into it that if you put up six or seven runs, we are going to win this game. We just played horrible on defense. Pitching and defense is going to win in the playoffs. We definitely didn’t have the defense tonight.”
New Site scored its first unearned run in the first before Union answered with two runs in the bottom of the first, as Trevor Patchin delivered a two-run single to give the Jackets a 2-1 lead.
But it went downhill from there as New Site’s Avery Barnes settled in and shut down Union for three straight innings as the Royals built a 6-2 lead after four innings. Barnes went the distance and scattered 10 hits and walked just one while striking out four to pick up the win.
Union battled back and pulled within 6-4 as senior Lane Hanna delivered bases-loaded single that scored two runs.
But New Site scored six runs in the top of the sixth with the help of two Union errors to go up 12-4. Union scratched three more runs in the bottom of the sixth, as Jaylon Buckley had a two run single in the inning. But Avery struck out two of the last three batters in the seventh to finish off the Jackets.
Casey Morris was tagged with the loss, going 4 2/3 innings and giving up six unearned runs on five hits and three walks while striking out five.
Morris was 3-for-4 at the plate while Buckley was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Hanna was 2-for-4 with two RBIs while Cameron Sones scored two runs.
New Site 12, Union 10
New Site used a pair of big innings to take a two-run win over the Yellowjackets on Friday to take the series.
Union scored two runs in the first and four in the second while New Site scored one in the first and two in the sixth to go up 7-6. After Union tied the game at 7-7 in the fourth, New Site scored five in the fourth to go up 12-7. Union scored three runs in the top of the seventh for the final margin.
Union outhit New Site 14-8 but committed five errors and gave up four walks. Cameron Sones was 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs scored and two RBIs. J.T. Vance was 3-for-5 with three doubles, two runs scored and three RBIs. Jaylon Buckley was 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Trevor Patchin scored two runs.
Lane Hanna got the start and pitched 5 2/3 innings and gave up 12 runs, only two of which were earned, on eight hits and four walks while striking out five. Jaylon Buckley got the last out.
