Madisonville-North Hopkins pitcher Erric Farmer did something no one else has done all season. Shut out Caldwell County.
Farmer and Caldwell’s Ben Goodaker engaged in a good old-fashioned pitchers’ duel on Tuesday in the 7th District baseball championship game — and Farmer’s Maroons pulled out a 1-0 victory at the VFW Ballpark in Princeton.
Each pitcher allowed four base hits. Farmer struck out seven while Goodaker fanned eight.
But Madisonville (9-20) got a fifth inning run to down Goodaker and Caldwell (19-11).
A leadoff single by Ryder Sandidge started the Madisonville fifth inning. Lane Faulk was then hit by a pitch.
Tomas Olvera bunted both runners up. A ground ball to second by Tanner Bess brought in Sandidge to give the Maroons a 1-0 lead.
Caldwell had at least one baserunner in every inning but the third. However, the Tigers stranded eight while being shut out.
Caldwell left the bases loaded in the first inning, missing a chance to grab an early lead.
Madisonville left six men on base.
Xzavier Martin had the game’s only extra-base hit in the contest with a double for the Maroons in the sixth inning.
Goodaker went 2-for-3 for Caldwell and was the only player in the game with multiple hits.
The Tigers had won the last two 7th District championships and nine of the last 10.
Madisonville’s last title had been in 2019.
Both teams advance to the 2nd Region tournament later this week.
