Hopkinsville’s Lucas Kaetzel came through with a two-run single to break a 6th-inning tie on Wednesday and help the Tigers snap a two-game skid with a 4-2 victory over visiting Todd County Central.
The Tigers earned a season sweep over the Rebels to improve to 3-4 ahead of a spring break trip to play in the Fort Walton Beach Bash next week.
Hopkinsville got a strong performance on the mound by Zach Moss when they won in Elkton, and this time it was JJ Thompson’s turn to take the ball against the Rebels.
Thompson struck out the side in the first and allowed only a single run on one hit before exiting after the 5th inning. He struck out ten and issued six walks before handing off to Thomas Hallmark.
Thompson also helped himself with an RBI triple in the 1st, and the Tigers led 2-0 in the 2nd after Moss was hit by an offering from Todd Central’s Preston Rager with the bases loaded.
The Rebels got a run back on Rager’s sacrifice fly in the top of the 3rd, but they still trailed by a run when they came to bat in the 6th. After an error and a Devin Schutt single, George Cumbee, Jr. smacked a line drive to right field to tie the game at 2-2.
However, an error with two outs that would have ended the Tigers’ half of the 6th changed the game. A hit by pitch loaded the bases, and Kaetzel played the hero with a looping base hit to shallow center field that brought in Gavin Powell and Hallmark.
Dylan Sweeney pitched the top of the 7th for the Tigers, giving up a walk and a single to make things interesting before ending the game with a strikeout and a pop-out with runners on first and second.
Hallmark earned the win for Hoptown, allowing an unearned run on two hits with a pair of strikeouts in an inning of work. Thompson finished 3/3 at the plate with a run driven in.
Rager took the loss, surrendering two runs, one earned, on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts over three frames. Gavyn Nolan went three innings in relief, allowing two unearned runs on two hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.
The Rebels saw a two-game winning run come to an end to slip to 4-2, with both losses coming against the Tigers. Todd Central has some 4th-Region All-A business to take care of on Saturday before also heading to Fort Walton next week.
