Hoppers Stay Hot, Pick Off Full Count 5-3

It was a ‘red out’ for the Hoptown Hoppers, and the home team stayed red hot as they rallied for a 5-3 win over the first place Full Count Rhythm Sunday at Tiger Stadium.

It was the Hoppers’ fourth straight win — their longest win streak since the opening week of the season.  It also moved them above the .500 mark at 16-15 for the first time since June 20.

Hoptown got a strong start from Zach Duenas and a three-run double from Luis Vergara to move to 3-2 this year against Full Count.

Duenas got the no-decision after pitching six innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs.

Garrett Blevins (3-3) needed only 16 pitches to get three outs and the win. Aaron Moss pitched the final two scoreless innings to notch his fourth save.

Hoptown opened the scoring in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Ren Tachioka was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Joshua Rodriguez. Vergara’s ground out plated Tachioka.

Henry Mosley led off the third inning with a solo homer over the centerfield fence to tie the game at 1-1. Two singles followed, and Hudson Mimbs laced a two-run single to center for a 3-1 Full Count lead.

Rodriguez, celebrating his birthday Sunday, got the Hoppers to within 3-2 on a third-inning sacrifice fly.

After Duenas departed after six innings, Blevins gave up a pair of one-out singles before inducing an inning-ending double play.

In the home half of the seventh, Gavin Baxter reached on an infield single. Following a strike out, Tachioka singled and Rodriguez was grazed on the hand by an inside pitch to load the bases.

Vergara followed with a double down the right field line that emptied the bases for what proved to be the final 5-3 margin.

Hoptown still sits in fourth place in the OVL South standings, 5.5 games out of first place but just two games behind second-place Franklin who has lost four straight games and seven of eight to drop out of first place.

Sunday’s Red Out at Hoptown High produced the largest home crowd for the Hoppers (388) since June 16.  Hoptown has four more home games left in the regular season.

Hoptown will host Paducah Monday night at 6:30.