Coming into the 2022 high school baseball season, Hopkinsville High knew it had the pitching to compete for the region title. They also knew its offense would need to come around and compliment the pitching.
Both held true Monday as Marshall County limited the Tigers to two hits in a 2-0 win at HHS.
Marshals’ hurler Evan Oakley went the distance, limiting Hoptown to one hit. He struck out 15 and walked just two.
Jacob Dilday had Hoptown’s lone hit – a fourth inning single.
Marshall County got both its runs in the sixth inning. Conner Mannon walked and moved to second on a bunt. With no one covering third base, Mannon outsprinted Hoptown’s Preston Chaudoin to the bag. Mannon scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch. Two outs and two walks later, Marshall County added its second run on another wild pitch.
Marshall County had only three singles in the game with Hoptown pitchers combining for 12 strikeouts.
Hoptown threatened in the bottom of the seventh when Chaudoin reached on a single and Zach Moss walked. But a frustrating offensive night had a frustrating end. Down 0-1 in the count, Landon Cook twice clearly called for a timeout in the box only to be denied by the home plate umpire. Cook swung and missed for strike two. Before the next pitch, Cook again clearly called for a timeout. He was denied again and lined the next pitch to the shortstop who threw to first to complete the game-ending double play.
Chaudoin pitched the first five innings for the Tigers, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out nine. Dilday struck out two in two-thirds of an inning but two of his runners came around to score, tagging him with the loss.
Hopkinsville will play at McCracken County Friday.
