On a night when the teams combined for ten errors, the Hoptown Hoppers couldn’t muster enough offense on Monday to overcome miscues in an 8-1 defeat to the host Fulton Railroaders.
Railroaders starter Brady Mallow held the Hoppers to a single hit over the first five frames, walking five and striking out six to earn the victory. Jackson Garrett was perfect over two innings of relief with three strikeouts before handing off to Eli Prince for the final two innings.
Garner Anderson’s first-inning two-run home run got the Railroaders on the board against Hopper starter Jack McGuire. Fulton followed with a run on a wild pitch and a two-run double by Charlie Ferbet to make it 5-0 after two innings.
McGuire took the loss despite only allowing two hits and one earned run over the first two frames. He was undone by a pair of errors and four walks while striking out four.
Aiden McCloud’s RBI double highlighted the Railroaders’ two-run fifth, and Ferbet homered with two outs in the eighth to cap the scoring.
Dylan Eaton worked two innings of relief for the Hoppers, giving up two runs, one earned, on four hits with three strikeouts, and Ethan Davis walked two and struck out three over two and a third scoreless frames.
Stephen Bell’s RBI single in the bottom of the ninth drove in the Hoppers’ only run. Luis Villalba and Sam Perkins had the only other Hoptown hits.
The Hoppers slipped to 5-10 with their second straight defeat and will host Madisonville on Tuesday. The teams have split a pair of meetings so far this season.
