Hayden Hunt held Hopkinsville to a single hit over six innings and the UHA Blazers scored in every frame but one to top Hopkinsville 7-4 on Tuesday and deliver the program’s first 8th-District title since 2001.
The Blazers ended a 23-year wait to raise the trophy, improving to 23-11 ahead of the upcoming 2nd Region tournament.
After Hunt drew a lead-off walk and Cadence Gibson followed with a double, Jackson Flynn drove in the first of two first-inning runs to give the Blazers the early advantage. However, back-to-back UHA errors opened the door for the Tigers to cut the margin in half in the top of the second.
Flynn drove in his second run of the game with a two-out single in the Blazers’ second at-bat. In the 3rd, Ryan Luckey singled to push a run across and Jaiden Miles came home on a passed ball to stretch the advantage to 5-1.
Hunt struck out the side in the top of the 4th, but despite a pair of singles to lead off the bottom of the inning, UHA couldn’t add to the lead.
Hunt found himself in trouble after two walks to open the Hoptown 5th, and consecutive errors allowed the Tigers to push three runs across and trim the margin to a single run. Hopkinsville appeared to have taken the lead, but two runs were called back due to batter interference and the Tigers wouldn’t score again.
Gibson delivered a sacrifice fly to drive in a run and give the Blazers some breathing room in the 5th before UHA opened the 6th with singles by Josh Pace and Eli Finch. Aiden Jones got a bunt down and Pace came home on the throw to first to cap the scoring.
Hunt exited after the sixth with Gibson coming on to work the top of the 7th. He struck out the first batter he faced and coaxed a pair of ground outs to set off the Blazer celebration.
Hunt earned the win, allowing four runs, only one earned, on a single hit with five walks and eight strikeouts. Flynn and Pace finished with two hits each for the Blazers.
Andrew Mayes went the distance and took the loss for the Tigers, surrendering seven runs, six earned, on nine hits with five walks and seven strikeouts. JJ Thompson had Hoptown’s only hit, and Dylan Sweeney and Gavin Powell each finished with an RBI.
The Tigers dropped their fourth straight in the series with the Blazers to slip to 19-9.
