The Hoptown Hoppers hit the road for a pair of games at Madisonville on Sunday, finishing up a contest halted by weather earlier this season before capping the shortened doubleheader with a seven-inning victory in the nightcap.
Madisonville held a 3-1 advantage to start the opener and used three runs in the 5th and 8th to earn a 9-2 victory. After the game picked up in the top of the 3rd, the Hoppers trimmed the lead to 3-2 on John Kiebler’s home run to lead off the 5th. However, that would be the last hit for the visiting side, and the Miners answered in the bottom of the frame on Jace Parnin’s two-run triple to build a four-run cushion.
After a sacrifice fly made it 7-2 in the 8th, Pete Britton followed with a single to drive in a pair of runs to cap the scoring for the Miners.
Although he didn’t pitch on Sunday, Peyton Armour took the loss for the Hoppers. Armour allowed three earned runs on five hits with four strikeouts in two innings on the mound.
Noah Campbell earned the win for the Miners, giving up a single earned run on two hits with three walks and eight strikeouts over five and a third innings.
Brayden Taylor had three hits for Madisonville, Parnin finished 2/3 with two RBI, and Britton and Oliver Clark each drove in two runs.
Determined not to go home empty-handed, the Hoppers bounced back in a big way against the lead-leaders in the second matchup. Brayden Eftink kicked off a three-hit, three-RBI game with a two-run double in the 1st, and Ethan Landis followed with an RBI single for an early 3-0 advantage.
The Hoppers struck again with three runs in the 5th, with Landis driving in two with a single and Gavin Lake pushing another across with a single. Eftink rounded out his big night with a two-run single in the 6th for the final score.
Dalton Sisson went the distance to pick up the win on the mound, allowing an earned run while scattering six hits with three strikeouts in seven innings.
Landis collected two hits and drove in three, and Braden Pingel and Gavin Lake each finished with two hits.
Christian Howe suffered the loss for the Miners, giving up six runs, four earned, on nine hits with a pair of walks and five strikeouts.
The Miners remained in 1st place at 17-12 while the Hoppers sat in 4th at 13-16.
Hoptown will be back on the road on Monday for a meeting with the Paducah Chiefs while Madisonville will travel to Henderson to face the Flash.
