Blazers Strike Early, Tigers Finish Strong in Doubleheader Split

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The Hopkinsville Tigers and visiting University Heights Academy Blazers fulfilled their 8th-District obligations with a doubleheader on Monday, with impressive pitching performances by UHA’s Ian Tyler and Hoptown’s JJ Thompson earning each team a win.

The Blazers opened with a barrage of singles against Hopkinsville starter Lucas Kaetzel, with six players hitting their way on and Ty Hunt and Ian Tyler driving in runs for a 3-0 lead in the 1st.

Tyler allowed a lead-off single to Thompson to start the bottom of the 1st but wouldn’t allow another hit until the bottom of the 7th.  In between, UHA tacked on three more runs in the 2nd on a double by Jaiden Miles, a single by Josh Pace, and Hunt’s second RBI on a single for a 6-0 advantage.

The Blazers’ Luke Shouse came home on a wild pitch in the 5th, and UHA made it 8-0 when Tyler reached on an error to plate Pace in the 6th.

Looking to nail down a one-hit victory, Tyler instead ran into some trouble after an error to start the Tigers’ final at-bat.  Kaetzel doubled to put runners on second and third, and Gavin Mitchell followed with a two-out single to get Hopkinsville on the board.

Tyler picked up his third win of the season and secured the district’s second seed for the Blazers, scattering three hits with a walk and eight strikeouts.

Six Blazers had two hits each, including Miles, Pace, Hunt, Shouse, Ryan Luckey, Ben Stone, and Jackson Flynn.

Kaetzel took the loss for the Tigers, going four innings and allowing six earned runs on 13 hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts.  In relief, Mitchell surrendered two earned runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

But the Tigers, playing as the visitors, came out energized to start the second game.  They pushed runs across on an error and an RBI by Mitchell to lead in the top of the 1st, and Thompson struck out the side in the bottom of the inning to set the tone.

Three Tiger runs in the 3rd and 4th innings, including an RBI double by Gavin Powell and an RBI single by Kaetzel, gave Hopkinsville an eight-run cushion.

However, the Blazers showed some life in the bottom of the 4th, using three walks to put runners on and score twice on wild pitches.

Thompson struck out the last three batters he faced before exiting after the 5th.  He allowed a single hit and struck out 13 but issued six walks.

After Thomas Hallmark relieved Thompson, the Blazers greeted him with a pair of singles and loaded the bases with no outs after a walk.  A passed ball allowed Hunt to come home, but Hallmark stopped the bleeding with two strikeouts and a ground out.

Hallmark opened the Tiger 7th with a double, and after a two-out walk, Thompson doubled to drive in a pair of insurance runs before being thrown out trying to stretch it to a triple.

Thompson won for the third time this season, and Hallmark picked up his second save.  Thompson also had a pair of hits and drove in two runs, and Kaetzel finished two for four with two RBI.  Powell hit safely twice and drove in a run.

Pace took the loss after three innings of work, giving up five runs, only one earned, on five hits with six strikeouts.  Shouse pitched the final four frames, allowing five earned runs on four hits with five walks and four strikeouts.

UHA now stands at 11-6, 4-2 in district play, while Hopkinsville is 8-15 overall and ended its district slate at 3-3.  The teams will meet again in two weeks in the first round of the district tournament.

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