After falling 12-8 to Gaffney in the season opener, Union Junior Legion coaches Donnie Vinson and Craig King said there would be some changes made defensively and those adjustments seemed to have paid dividends on Monday night when Union handed Gaffney a 6-3 loss.
Union hammered away at the Gaffney pitching staff for nine hits with Bradley McKeown striking first in the bottom of the first inning.
McKeown singled and reached home off a fielder’s choice just after David Burris drew a walk and scored off a wild pitch and Union took the 2-0 lead.
Gaffney had no answer and Eaves led off the bottom of the second with a hit to left field. A sacrifice bunt courtesy of Earl Petty put Eaves in scoring position. Kennedy Beatty drew a walk and Burris hit an infield single to load the bases for the catcher, McKeown.
McKeown smashed a two-RBI double to right field and Dustin West followed with a single that plated two more runs before Gaffney could stop the rally.
However, Union had collected four runs in the inning and again, Gaffney had no answer, going three up, three down in the third.
Josh Gass doubled into left field in the bottom of the inning, but was left on after a strikeout, a fielder’s choice and a ground out ended the inning.
Gaffney picked up a pair of runs in the top of the fourth off two hits and a Union throwing error and both teams went scoreless in the fifth and sixth frames.
Although Union threatened on two outs in the sixth when Michael Todd Harris singled to left field and Beatty lined between short and third, the Gaffney pitcher forced a fly out to right field to escape the inning.
A single to left field and one to center with two outs produced a single run for Gaffney but Beatty made a sliding catch in center field, dashing Gaffney’s hopes of a comeback and putting the game away, 6-3.
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