Heritage Christian Academy scored three times in the bottom of the seventh inning to stun Trigg County 8-7 Thursday evening at David Eddings Field.
The win keeps Heritage Christian Academy unbeaten at 5-0 while Trigg County remains winless at 0-5.
The game was originally scheduled to be played at Trigg County, but their field was unplayable due to this week’s rain.
It was moved to Hopkinsville and the start time moved up to 5 pm because David Eddings Field has no lights. A little over two hours later, Carter Glover’s soft single to right in the gloaming scored Weston Powell from second to seal the comeback win for the Warriors.
Trigg County’s Dallas Ahart and HCA’s J.J. Thompson engaged in a pitcher’s duel for the first four innings. Ahart allowed just one hit and struck out five during that stretch while Thompson gave up two hits and struck out nine through four.
One of Thompson’s two hits allowed was a solo home run to Isaac Peca in the fourth.
Trigg County broke through in the fifth inning with four runs – all with two outs. Matthew Leeper hit a solo home run to left field. Tyler Ahart reached on an error, stole third, and scored on a throwing error. After Peca walked, Jay Humphries crushed a two-run homer to left field to put Trigg up 5-0.
Heritage battled back to score five runs in the home half of the fifth. Thompson hit a wind-blown double to left that scored pinch runner Kris Ruth to get HCA on the board.
David Jent followed with a two-run double to score Thompson and Trenton Hayes who had walked.
A Weston Powell single scored Jent, and a Grant Floyd single plated Powell with the tying run.
Trigg scored twice in the sixth inning but a potential third run was cut down at the plate on a ground ball.
Ahart and Peca worked two-out bases-loaded walks to put Trigg up 7-5.
In the bottom of the seventh, Hayes led off with a walk. Jent reached on an error, and Hayes scored on a stolen base and Trigg throwing error. Powell followed with an RBI single to right to tie the game at 7-7. After a strikeout and hit batter, Glover’s only hit of the game was the game-winner.
Three of Trigg’s five hits were homers with Stephen Audas adding a double.
HCA had nine hits with Powell tallying three hits and two RBIs, and Jent adding a pair of hits and two RBIs.
Thompson’s final pitching line was five innings of four-hit baseball. He struck out 11 and walked two. Hayes pitched the final two innings to get the win.
Dallas Ahart took the loss, striking out eight in going the distance. He allowed nine hits but only two of the eight runs he allowed were earned. Both teams had four fielding errors.
Heritage Christian Academy is playing KHSAA schools for the first time after getting approved for membership last year. They are the defending Kentucky Christian Athletic Association state champions and will still play another year of KCAA games until they are a full KHSAA member in 2023-24.
HCA will host another KHSAA school, Union County, Saturday, while Trigg County is slated to host Dawson Springs Friday.
