Nothing went right Monday night for the Hoptown Hoppers until it did.
The Hoppers earned their second straight win with a 6-5 rain-shortened victory over visiting Paducah.
The game was scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m., but with rain in the forecast the Hoppers pushed the start to 6 p.m. However, a vehicle accident on I-24 in Lyon County shut down both the East and West bound lanes. The Chiefs’ bus was stuck in traffic and didn’t get to Hopkinsville until a little after 7 p.m.
The game started a little after 7:30 as a thunderstorm moved just north of the area. With thunder rolling, the Hoppers got their bats going early. Gabe Eddington drew a one-out walk and Dominick Bello smacked a two-out single. Konnor Scheidt gave the Hoppers a 2-0 lead with a double that drove in Eddington and Bello.
However, the Chiefs solved starting pitcher Heath Henley in the third inning as they scored three runs using a pair of hits and a Hoppers’ error.
Paducah (6-6) pushed its lead to 5-2 in the top of the fourth using three hits.
The Hoppers’ local connection came to the rescue in the bottom of the fifth. Former Trigg County star Aidon Butts laced a single into left field and former Hopkinsville High School star Gavin Powell bunted his way on with a single. Former HHS and Heritage Christian Academy star JJ Thompson then singled home Butts and Powell raced home on a throwing error on the same play to draw the Hoppers to within 5-4.
Owen Hutcheson doubled home Thompson to tie the game and Scheidt’s two-out single scored Hutcheson to give Hoptown the 6-5 lead.
Relief pitcher Owen Boswell retired the Chiefs in order in the top of the sixth as heavy rain began to fall.
After about a 20-minute rain delay, umpires and coaches decided the field was too wet to continue and the game was called.
Hoptown (3-9) was led by Thompson, Hutcheson, Konnor Scheidt, who each had a pair of hits.
The Hoppers return to action at 6:30 p.m. tonight at Fulton, which had its game Monday at Henderson rained out.
Score by Innings:
Paducah Chiefs 003 200 – 5 5 2
Hoptown Hoppers 200 04x – 6 10 2
WP – Boswell
LP – Morehead
Leading Hitters: Hoptown – Thompson (2 1B), Hutcheson (2B, 1B), Bello (1B), Scheidt (2B, 1B), Hotaling (1B), Butts (1B), Powell (1B).
Photos by Peyton Biaquis