Four things have to happen in unity to nail a runner at home plate trying to score – a good cutoff throw, a good throw to the plate, the catch, and the tag.
That’s how Tuesday’s game at Elmer Kelley Stadium ended as the Madisonville Miners did all four correctly and held on for a 7-4 win over the Hoptown Hoppers.
Hoptown’s Dom Bello (Anderson Univ.) ripped a double off the wall with two outs in the ninth inning for the Hoppers. Miners’ Centerfielder Clifford Wysinger II (Auburn Univ. Montgomery) hit Pete Britton (Oakland City) with the cut-off throw in short left field, and Britton threw a dart to home plate where catcher Justin Early (Frontier) took the throw at his left shin guard and tagged out Gavin Powell (Rend Lake) trying to score from first base.
While it wasn’t the tying run, it thwarted the final comeback attempt by the Hoppers, who trailed 6-1 entering the sixth inning.
The Miners scored three runs in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Two walks, two Hoppers errors, and a steal of home by Coulter Hamilton (Indiana Univ. Southeast) put Hoptown into an early hole.
Hoptown got a run back in the third when Powell singled and came around to score on a Chance Sweeney (Auburn Univ. Montgomery) single.
Collin Teodter (Houston Christian) didn’t allow a Madisonville hit until the fourth inning when Early and Sean O’Brien (Auburn Univ. Montgomery) singled ahead of an RBI hit by Dylan Toler (Kentucky Wesleyan).
The Miners tacked on two more runs in the fifth inning and chased Toedter from the game. Hamilton and Early each had RBI singles to push the Madisonville lead to 6-1.
It was part of a three-hit, two-RBI night for Early in addition to being the primary actor in the final out of the game.
Bello doubled to lead off the sixth inning and scored on a single by Myles Denton for the Hoppers’ second run. Hoptown added two more runs in the seventh when Bello singled and scored on an infield error by the Miners. An RBI groundout by Kolby Webb (Arkansas Tech) plated Hoptown’s fourth and final run.
O’Brien had two hits and a double for the Miners, who were outhit 11-8. His RBI double in the eighth scored Early for an insurance run.
Bello had a three-hit night for the Hoppers, including two doubles, and Eli Laurent (Indiana Southeast) and Powell each had a pair of hits.
Toedter was tagged with the loss for the Hoppers, surrendering two earned runs and six hits in 4.2 innings. John McGee (Olney Central) gave Hoptown 2.1 innings of relief without allowing a hit or a run.
Noah Campbell (Bishop State) got the win for Madisonville, allowing seven hits in six innings with four strikeouts and two earned runs allowed.
Sander Lucas (Indiana State) pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the save as Madisonville pitchers didn’t walk a batter.
Madisonville (7-11) climbed into fourth place with the win, a half-game ahead of Paducah (6-11) and 1.5 games ahead of the Hoppers (6-13).
The Miners have taken three of the four meetings with the Hoppers this season and have won five of six at Elmer Kelley Stadium. The Hoppers lead the all-time series 53-39.
Hoptown travels to second-place Henderson on Wednesday, while Madisonville hosts Paducah.
