The Hopkinsville Tigers lost two games in two very different ways on Thursday at the Donny Everett Classic, falling behind early and never recovering against Rossview before surrendering a late-inning lead in a walk-off loss to Gallatin.
Rossview jumped out to an early 5-0 lead against Tiger starting pitcher Zach Moss, but the Tigers got back into it with three runs in the top of the 3rd courtesy of a pair of bases-loaded walks and a sacrifice fly by Joseph Boor.
However, Rossview answered with a couple of runs in the 3rd, and Brady Cooper and Lantz Shirk both homered in a three-run 5th to build a 12-3 advantage.
Cooper added his second home run of the game in the bottom of the 6th to end the game.
After Moss allowed five earned runs on six hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts, Mason Spain took over on the mound and surrendered seven earned runs on seven hits with a strikeouts and two walks over three innings.
Jeremy Watson got the win for Rossview, working two frames and allowing three runs with six walks and two strikeouts.
Det Detwiller was 3/4 with four RBI, and Cooper and Scott Dean each drove in three for Rossview.
It was the Tigers’ turn to strike first in the night cap when Boor’s two-out single brought home a run.
After Hopkinsville stretched the lead to 3-0, Gallatin pushed a couple of runs across in the bottom of the 2nd on a Tiger error and a two-out RBI single by William Douglas.
Hoptown starter Lucas Kaetzel allowed a single hit over the next three innings, and the Tigers appeared to take control of the game with a three-run 5th. Jacob Dilday led off with a double and came home on Preston Chaudoin’s single, and Chaudoin eventually scored on a wild pitch for a 6-2 lead.
Kaetzel exited after allowing a double to start the bottom of the 6th, and RBI singles by Gallatin’s Jakob Thompson and Carter Whitefield trimmed the margin to a run.
The Tigers went down in order in their half of the 7th, and Gallatin made them pay for not adding to the lead. A lead-off double put a runner in scoring position, and Hunter Oakes singled to drive in a run and tie the game. With runners on 1st and 3rd and two outs, Eli Siltman singled to center on a 2-2 pitch from Thomas Hallmark to walk it off.
Mitchell Victor had three hits for Gallatin, and Oakes was 2/4 at the plate.
Five Tigers had a hit, and Boor drove in two runs.
Hopkinsville slips to 3-7 and will return to Clarksville on Saturday to play Houston, TN.
