Luke Genier allowed a single unearned run over six innings and Luis Vergara belted his league-leading 9th home run on the way to a seven-RBI night to lead the Hoptown Hoppers past the Paducah Chiefs 13-1 on Monday.
The Hoppers posted their fifth win in a row and sit in a tie for 3rd in the South Division at 17-15.
Genier scattered four hits with six strikeouts and three walks to pick up his second victory. Chase Harlan worked a scoreless 7th, striking out two with a single walk.
The Hoppers provided plenty of run support courtesy of a trio of players among the league leaders at the plate. Vergara got things started with a two-run double in the 1st and drove in another run with his second two-bagger in the 2nd. Josh Rodriguez doubled to bring home a pair, and the Hoptown lead was 5-0 after two frames.
Two sacrifice flys and a Paducah error brought home three more runs in the 4th, and Genier exited with an 8-0 lead to start the 7th. The Hoppers ended things in the bottom of the inning, with Vergara smacking a two-run homer to cap the mercy-rule victory.
Vergara finished 3/3 and his seven RBI leave him second in the OVL with 31 this season. Rodriguez had a pair of hits and is second in the league with 42, while his four runs driven in take his league-leading total to 35.
Ren Tachioka added two hits to lead all OVL players with 43. His .391 batting average also leads the league.
Corbin Gutman took the loss for the Chiefs, lasting four innings and allowing eight runs, three earned, on six hits with a couple of walks and three strikeouts.
Next for the Hoppers is a trip to face Full County Rhythm on Tuesday, while the 11-21 Chiefs will be at the Henderson Flash.
