A night after a ninth-inning error sent them to a walk-off defeat in Paducah, the Hoptown Hoppers pushed four runs across in the bottom of the sixth and held off a late rally to top the Chiefs 6-5 in the rematch.
Baylen White got the start on the mound for the Hoppers and allowed only three singles with nine strikeouts over five scoreless frames, but exited after a two-run home run by Paducah’s Bryden Fraasman tied the game at 2-2 with one out in the top of the sixth.
The Hoppers had led 2-0 after a run on an error in the third and an RBI single by Stephen Bell in the fifth. They regained the advantage in their half of the sixth, putting runners on first and second and scoring on an RBI single by Artem Logvinov. A pair of runs came in on wild pitches to make it 5-2 before Bell added his second RBI on a single to cap the scoring for the Hoppers.
Paducah put the first two on to start the top of the seventh, but Hoptown’s John Girard struck out three straight batters to end the threat.
The Hoppers looked set to blow the game open in the bottom of the frame with the bases loaded and no outs, but a pair of strikeouts and a flyout kept the Chiefs alive.
Paducah made things interesting in the top of the eighth, starting with Gunnar Bingham’s RBI double that chased Girard. Girard allowed two earned runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout before giving way to Myles Green.
After Green walked the first batter he faced, Christian Beal singled in a run, and a Hopper error brought in another to narrow the lead to 6-5. However, Green buckled down and got a strikeout and two ground outs to leave the tying and go-ahead runners on.
Girard got the win for the Hoppers, Green allowed a run on a hit with a walk and a strikeout, and Jaxon McTyre got the final three outs.
Bell, Carter Hood, and Robert Estrada each had two hits to lead the way, and four other Hoppers had a hit.
Noah Boon took the loss for the Chiefs, giving up four earned runs on three hits in one inning of work.
Will Gibbs and Gage Griggs finished with two hits for Paducah, and Fraasman drove in a pair of runs.
