YSE File Photo
Despite a massive power output from Taylor Joachim and Shaniyah Straight on the road, the Hopkinsville High School softball team was outslugged by Hopkins County Central on Tuesday with the Storm triumphing 11-10 in eight innings.
Joachim hit three doubles and Straight tripled and homered, but it wasn’t enough for the Tigers, who pounded 17 hits in defeat. Host Hopkins Central trailed 10-5 going into the bottom of the seventh inning, but a pair of two-out RBI singles tied the game and sent it to extras.
Keira Bryan and Maggie Killough were responsible for the clutch hits that squared the game at 10-all in the seventh. After Hoptown had a runner thrown out at home plate in the top of the eighth, the Storm won it in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by Emily Ballard.
Shaniyah Straight was gritty in the circle. She lasted all 7 2/3 innings and struck out four. She gave up 15 hits and allowed 10 runs. Four of the runs were earned after HHS committed five errors. Six different Hoptown players recorded multi-hit games, as Joachim, Shaniyah Straight, Abigail Straight, Zoey Thomas, Jakayla Grubbs, and Daijha Owen Morand went a combined 15-of-25.
Bryan (2-3) struck out two, walked none, and allowed seven hits in 4 2/3 innings to earn the win. Ballard picked up a three-inning save after allowing nine hits and eight runs. The Storm were led offensively by Ballard (four RBI), Amelia Johnson (3-for-5, two runs, RBI), Killough (4-for-5, run, RBI), and Alyssa Blanchard (2-for-3, run, RBI).
Hopkinsville (3-5) plays its fourth straight road game at noon Saturday against Community Christian in Paducah and returns home April 17 to take on University Heights Academy in an 8th District matchup.
