In need of a win to bolster their playoff hopes as the last week of the OVL regular season began on Sunday, the Hoptown Hoppers rallied to erase a late three-run deficit only to fall 9-8 to the visiting Fulton Railroaders.
Fulton jumped on top in its half of the second inning with an RBI double by Carter Davis and led 3-0 after Connor Brinkley singled to drive in two.
The Hoppers only had one hit through the first five frames, but they made it count when Thomas Barnhart doubled to score two in the bottom of the third. Sam Perkins followed with an RBI on a ground out to tie the game at 3-3 after three.
Luis Vergara’s RBI single gave the Hoppers their first lead of the night in the sixth, but Fulton answered with a five-run seventh. With two outs and one on, a walk and an error brought in a run, and Aiden Gibson singled to push another across. Emery Wright doubled to drive in a pair of runs for an 8-5 score.
Hoptown got two runs back in the bottom of the seventh and tied the game at 8-8 on Devin Keibler’s RBI single in the eighth.
However, Wright’s third RBI of the game would be decisive in Fulton’s final at-bat, sending the Hoppers to their third loss in four outings.
Jaxon McTyre took the defeat for Hoptown after allowing four runs, one earned, on five hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts over two and a third. John Girard got the start and lasted five innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts.
Barnhart led Hoptown at the plate with three hits and three RBI, and five other Hoppers each had a hit.
Wright had two hits and three RBI for Fulton, and Gibson and Brinkley each went two for four with a pair of RBI.
Logan Wilsker was victorious on the mound for the Railroaders, allowing a run on four hits over one and a third. Giffen Paige started on the mound and went six innings, giving up five runs, four earned,
