LIBERTY — Cole Cheatham finished with three hits and 11 strikeouts Tuesday to lead Union County to an 8-1 win over South Dearborn in the season opener. Cheatham went five innings on the mound, giving up just one run on three hits.
Union County got on the board in the first inning on a Cheatham RBI single. South Dearborn tied it up in the second when AJ Kunkel singled in a run, but the Patriots took the lead back for good in the fourth on a wild pitch.
The Patriots put the game away in the fifth inning with a five-run outburst. Colton Johnson doubled in a run before Cheatham drove in two more with a single. Charlie Payne capped off the inning with a two-run triple.
Ezra Hensley threw an inning of hitless relief to close things out. Mason Hamlett took the loss for South Dearborn, striking out eight in 3.2 innings of work.
The Patriots were aggressive on the bases with five steals, including two each from Cheatham and Cam Salsbery. Defensively, Union County played a clean game with zero errors. Xander Hounchell finished with 12 chances in the field.
Kunkel, Jackson Johnson, and Tyeler Gulden each had a hit for South Dearborn.
Union County (1-0) travels to Shenandoah on Thursday.
South Dearborn 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 -1
Union County 1 0 0 1 5 1 X -8
Top Performers
- Cole Cheatham: 3-4, 3 RBI, 2 SB; 5 IP, 11 K, 1 ER
- Colton Johnson: 2-4, 2B, RBI
- Charlie Payne: 1-3, 3B, 2 RBI
- Ezra Hensley: 1 IP, 1 K, 0 H, 0 R
- Xander Hounchell: 12 total chances, 0 errors
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