Caldwell County overcame deficits of 5-1 and 7-4 to send the game to extra innings at 7-7. But an error in the top of the eighth inning opened the door for two Union County runs as the Braves got out of Princeton with a 9-7 victory on Thursday.
Cannon Sheffer, the third Union pitcher of the game, blanked Caldwell on two base hits over the final two innings to pick up the win on the mound. He struck out two and walked one.
Sheffer left runners at first and third in the bottom of the seventh inning after Caldwell had scored three times to tie it.
Brady Holeman doubled in two runs with a shot into the right-field corner.
Channing Puckett then came up with a two-out RBI single to knot the contest at 7-7.
But a strikeout ended the frame with the potential winning run just 90 feet away.
Waylon Wheatley and and Sheffer each singled to start the Union eighth. A strikeout was the first out. After the runners moved up on stolen bases, a grounder back to the pitcher appeared to be the second out of the inning.
However, a bad throw on a run down at third base ended up in left field, allowing two runs to score.
That proved to be the difference in the 9-7 ballgame.
Sheffer went 5-for-5 to lead a 14-hit Union attack. Wheatley was 3-for-5.
For Caldwell, Luke Parker was 3-for-5 while Ari Wells was 2-for-4 and drove in two runs and Carter Whittington went 2-for-5.
The Tigers, now 1-2, are scheduled to go to University Heights Academy in Hopkinville on Friday.
Thursday’s game was the season opener for Union.
