The Hoptown Hoppers used timely hitting and pitching to hold off a late rally and defeat the Madisonville Miners 6-5 Thursday on military appreciation night at Christian County’s Colonel Field.
Caden Wilburn overcame some early wildness to give the Hoppers five strong innings in his first start of the season. He walked the first two batters he faced before a successful pickoff at second base and two strikeouts ended the Miners’ first-inning threat.
Madisonville’s Schon Pespisa was equally effective, allowing a second-inning single to Cameron Hood and a third-inning double to Reid Douglas.
Hoptown broke through in the fourth inning when Stephen Bell led off with a hustle double on a ball in the gap. Luis Vergara followed with a single that scored Bell. Chase Cummings would later score Vergara on a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 Hoppers lead.
Madisonville got a run back as a pair of infield errors allowed Wyatt Cunningham to score. But Wilburn was able to pitch out of the jam and limit the Miners’ damage to a single run.
The Hoppers scored three times in the sixth inning with Hood providing an RBI single and Oliverio plating a run off a misplayed fly ball by Madisonville. Oliverio would come around to score on a passed ball.
The Miners would tally runs in each of the last three innings. Jaxon McTyre, the last of five Hoppers pitchers used in the contest, got the final five outs to pick up his first save.
Bell, Vergara, and Hood each had two hits for the Hoppers (4-8) with Douglas reaching base three times.
Will Vance had two of the six hits Madisonville (6-5) was able to get off Hoppers’ pitching.
Thursday’s game was the 77th meeting in the series, which Hoptown leads 46-30. The Hoppers are 27-13 against the Miners on their home turf.
The teams will meet again Tuesday at Colonel Field for the final time during the regular season. While Madisonville is the closest Ohio Valley team in terms of distance, the Miners are in the North Division and appear on the schedule less than the Hoppers’ South Division opponents.
Hoptown hits the road for three straight road games starting with a 7:00 contest at Muhlenberg County Friday. The Hoppers will play the Louisville Jockeys in Georgetown Saturday and spend Father’s Day at Lohaus Field in Fulton Sunday.
