YSE File Photo
It was the new guys getting the best of the old guys Saturday night in Ohio Valley League play. The Clarksville WhirlyBirdz got a walk-off single from Heath Owen to cap off a two-run rally in the bottom of the 11th inning and hand the Hoptown Hoppers a 6-5 lead in their first road trip of the season.
The loss was the third straight for the Hoppers to open the 2023 season and the third time the Hoppers had led in a game only to see the lead slip away.
Hoptown got on the board in the top of the first when Luis Vallalba was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the first to go up 1-0.
Clarksville came right back with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. An RBI double from Carson Hepworth was the big hit in the inning.
With the pitchers finding their stride, the score would stay that way until the top of the sixth inning. The Hoppers would then use four walks and a steal of home to plate a pair of runs and even the game up at 3-3.
Clarksville threatened to break the game open in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out. Hoptown reliever Tim Cansler entered the game and got the Hoppers out of the jam by striking out the next two batters to keep things tied up.
The Hoppers threatened in the top of the 8th, loading the bases with one out thanks to three walks from WhirlyBirdz pitching. However, a force at the plate and a popup got Clarksville out of the inning without further damage.
In the 10th, with a runner placed on second to start the inning, John Keibler being that runner, the Hoppers would get to the lead when Keibler would eventually score on a balk with two outs.
Clarksville came back in the bottom half of the inning scoring a run on an RBI single with two outs to tie the game at 4-4 and force an eleventh inning.
Stephen Bell was the runner placed on second for the Hoppers in the eleventh. Bell advanced to third on a ground out and then scored on a fielder’s choice with one out to put the Hoppers back in front 5-4.
A Hopper error allowed the runner that started the bottom of the 11th on second base to score for Clarksville to tie the game at 5-5. The error was the fourth of the game for the Hoppers. After a walk, Heath Owen singled to drive in the walk-off winning run for the WhirlyBirdz.
Both teams had troubles in the field for the night as each was charged with four errors.
The Hoppers were limited to four hits in the game. Robert Estrada finished the game 2-6. Carter Hood had a double for the Hoppers. Mac Biggs was 1-3 with an RBI.
On the mound, Francisco Paradis had the start for the Hoppers. He gave up three runs, only one of them earned, on four hits, striking out four and walking two.
For the third straight game, a total of seven Hopper pitchers took to the mound in the game.
