Union County has long been considered a threat to upset a district winner in the region tournament with four of its last six first round wins coming as a district runner-up over a district champion.
University Heights Academy made sure history didn’t repeat itself on Monday as the Blazers put up a seven-spot in the first inning on its way to a 12-2 win in five innings at Chris Simmons Field. Monday’s top brackets games were moved from Lyon County to University Heights to beat impending weather.
Jaiden Miles smacked a three-run homer in the first inning to back the pitching of Josh Pace, who improved to 2-3 with 4.1 innings of three-hit ball. He struck out eight and walked three.
Eli Finch laid down a safety squeeze in the first inning ahead of a Jackson Flynn single and Miles’ second home run of the season that capped the seven-run first inning and chased Union starter Coltin Capps from the game without recording an out.
Finch finished with three hits and two RBI, while Cadence Gibson had a pair of hits for the Blazers (19-10).
Union County tried chipping away as Brady Greenwell doubled home Garret Shouse in the second inning, and Payton Garrett added a sacrifice fly in the third inning to score Will Bolden.
Up 10-2 in the fifth inning, Hayden Hunt doubled home Cadence Gibson and then scored on a bunt single by Finch to invoke the 10-run mercy rule.
Greenwell went four innings in relief for Union County, allowing three earned runs and striking out two.
Blazer pitchers limited Union County (14-18) to three hits.
UHA, who advanced to the region championship game last year, has now won consecutive first round region tourney games for the for the first time in 24 years.
The Blazers (19-10) will play Trigg County in Tuesday’s semifinals at 5:30 at Lyon County. Trigg defeated Madisonville 8-0 in the day’s opener at UHA. Henderson County beat Christian County 2-0, and Lyon County ousted Caldwell County 6-2.
Trigg County and UHA haven’t played since 2022, a 11-1 Blazer win. Trigg’s last win over UHA came in 2016.
In the 7:30 semifinal on Tuesday, Lyon County will look to end a three-game region tourney losing streak to Henderson as the All A Classic state champs look to lock down their first region title in four years.
