Hopkins County Central put the brakes on a nine-game losing streak with an 18-4 six-inning victory on Tuesday over hosts Livingston Central. The Storm did most of their damage in the second and sixth innings to improve to 3-12 and hand the Cardinals their seventh loss in a row.
With Livingston Central leading 2-1 in the second, Tristan Schmaltz led off with a double and the Storm drew four straight walks to move in front 3-2. Neilan Bruce and Brody Smith delivered back-to-back RBI singles, and Hopkins Central pushed two more runs across for an 8-2 advantage.
Drew Hosick doubled in two runs in the bottom of the second to cut the Storm’s lead to 8-4, but the Cardinals wouldn’t cross the plate again.
A walk and two hit-by-pitches put Hopkins Central in business to lead off the sixth. Sawyer Allen’s two-run double made it 12-4, Bruce capped a three-hit, four-RBI night with a run-scoring single, and Gaige Brasher added an RBI single.
After coming on to relieve Stanley in the third, Smith allowed two earned runs on four hits with three walks and seven strikeouts over five frames to earn the win.
Brasher finished with two hits and two RBI, and Allen and Kullen Marsh each drove in two runs for the Storm.
Hopkins Central will close the week with a pair of home games, entertaining Heritage Christian Academy on Thursday and welcoming Trigg County on Friday.
