YSE File Photo
Host Marshall County made a first-inning lead hold up and then held off a final Hopkinsville rally attempt Thursday, winning a high school baseball matchup 3-1 in Draffenville. The Tigers, who were seeking their first two-game winning streak since March 23, left runners at first and second to end the affair.
The Marshals produced a pair of runs early, going ahead 2-0 on a Jace Driver’s bases-loaded walk and an Alex Staples RBI single, and then turned the game over to starting pitcher Carter McKinney. The senior hurler had strong stuff against Hoptown, striking out four and scattering five hits in the complete-game effort.
Trailing 3-0, the visiting Tigers finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning after Zach Moss drew a one-out walk and came around to score on a two-out single by Lucas Kaetzel to pull HHS within 3-1 of Marshall County.
Down to their final few outs, Hopkinsville tried to come from behind when Christopher Medina and JJ Thompson delivered consecutive two-out singles in the seventh, but McKinney (3-2) fanned Dylan Sweeney on three straight pitches to end the threat and the game.
Thomas Hallmark (1-3) came up with five strikeouts and issued just two walks, but he also allowed five hits and a pair of earned runs to take the loss. Gavin Mitchell pitched the final two innings of relief, allowing two hits and no runs.
Sweeney had the lone extra-base hit for Hoptown — a one-out double during the Tigers’ first at-bat of the night. Thompson finished 2-for-4. Medina went 1-for-2 and was hit by a pitch. The Marshals were led offensively by Wilson Shadowen, who was 2-for-3 and scored a run on Chase Shelton’s RBI single in the fifth.
Hopkinsville (4-10) will be right back at it Friday, beginning a stretch of four straight 8th District matchups. That begins with a hosting of Christian County, followed by back-to-back games against Fort Campbell on April 17 and 18, and a rematch with the Colonels on April 21.
