YSE File Photo
Fort Campbell scored twice in the sixth, twice more in the seventh, and had the tying run 90 feet away Tuesday in Mortons Gap, but the comeback attempt ended a tad short during a 7-6 loss at Hopkins County Central.
Michael Anderson walked to begin the game and scored on a dropped-third-strike passed ball to give FCHS an early lead on the road, but the Storm would punch right back with seven consecutive runs over the course of their next two at-bats to seize control. Maxwell Clarke’s double led to a two-out, two-run Fort Campbell error that made it 6-1. Clarke then scored on a wild pitch to put Central ahead 7-1.
Hopkins County Central sophomore Gaige Brasher (3-3) eventually settled in and struck out nine in five innings of work. His bullpen made things interesting, though, as the Falcons manufactured a pair of runs — Noah Herron RBI groundout and Marquell Hunt sacrifice fly — to cut the Storm lead to 7-4 off HCCHS reliever Tristan Schmaltz.
In the seventh, trailing by three runs, Fort Campbell cut it to 7-5 on Tyler Hansen’s RBI groundout and pulled within 7-6 on John Arnold’s RBI double to left field. Arnold eventually advanced to third base on wild pitches, but Levi Stanley would enter on the mound and get Thomas Roach to ground out, ending the Falcons’ rally.
Adam Harrington finished 2-for-4 with a run at the plate to lead the offense for FCHS, but he was touched up during his starting pitching duties on the other side of the coin. Harrington (0-7) walked three, gave up two hits and allowed five runs in 1 1/3 innings on the bump. Roach struck out four and allowed the other two runs during 4 2/3 innings of relief.
It was the sixth straight loss for Fort Campbell (3-19), which will begin a string of four games in three days at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Kenwood High School in Clarksville. The Falcons also play a weekend doubleheader Saturday at Fort Knox. The Storm (8-7) host Madisonville-North Hopkins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, in a game that is rescheduled from April 11.
