Hopkinsville’s Zach Moss threw six strong innings, and the Tigers squeezed six runs out of four hits to hand the host Todd County Central Rebels their first defeat of the season on Monday.
Hoptown earned its first victory to move to 1-2, while the Rebels slipped to 2-1 ahead of a rematch on Tuesday in Hopkinsville.
Making his first start of the season, Moss was dialed in from the start. A single walk was the only baserunner he allowed through three innings, and the Tigers got all the offense they would need in the top of the 4th.
Rebel starter Gavyn Nolan held Hopkinsville scoreless over the first three frames but ran into trouble with two walks and a hit-by-pitch in the 4th. The first run came in on a passed ball, followed by an RBI single by JJ Thompson.
Another Rebel error made it 4-0, and Moss helped himself with an RBI single. Finally, a run-scoring sacrifice fly by Thomas Hallmark capped the scoring for the Tigers.
Preston Rager’s two-out single in the bottom of the 6th was the Rebels’ first and only hit, and he came all the way around to score the lone run on a trio of passed balls.
Moss struck out 12 and walked three. Hallmark pitched a scoreless 7th for the Tigers.
Nolan took the loss, allowing five earned runs on two hits with five walks and two strikeouts through three innings. Zack Robinson went the rest of the way for the Rebels, surrendering an unearned run on two hits.
