A six-run sixth inning and the two-hit pitching of Lane Faulk helped Madisonville-North Hopkins turn back Hopkins County Central 9-1 in Monday’s 7th District baseball semifinal.
Faulk allowed just an unearned run in 6.1 innings of work. He struck out 10 and walked four.
Madisonville (19-11) will next face Caldwell County (19-5) in Tuesday’s 6:00 championship game at Elmer Kelley Stadium in Madisonville. With only three baseball teams in the district this season, Caldwell, the No. 1 seed, drew a bye into the title tilt.
Hopkins Central (7-21) kept Monday’s semifinal game tight for a long time.
An unearned run in the top of the fourth allowed the Storm to tie things at 1-1.
However, Madisonville regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly to right by Evan Lear.
Matthew Yates singled home another run in the fifth to put the Maroons up 3-1.
Madisonville then put the game away with its big sixth inning. Yates tripled home three runs as the Maroons stretched their advantage to 9-1.
Yates finished 2-for-4 with four runs batted in. Jaziyon Latham was 2-for-3. Alex Richards doubled while Brantley Harris and Lear each had singles.
Neilan Bruce was 2-for-3 with a triple for Hopkins Central.
Bruce, the Storm starter, suffered the loss on the mound. He struck out seven while allowing six earned runs on five hits in 5.1 innings.
Hopkins Central last reached the district final in 2009.
Meanwhile, Madisonville and Caldwell will meet in the district final for the 15th straight tournament. The Tigers have taken 10 of the previous 14 championship matchups.
