Hutch was clutch for the Hoptown Hoppers Friday night against the visiting Madisonville Miners.
Owen Hutcheson beat out an infield single that scored Cole Reynolds with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning and the Hoppers edged the Miners 4-3 at Colonel Field.
The Burns, Tenn., native went 2-for-4 on the night and sent the Hoppers to their fifth win in their last eight games. Hoptown is now 5-10 on the season and returns to action Saturday night at Full Count.
On Friday, Hopkinsville High School graduate Gavin Powell started on the mound for the Hoppers and threw six innings of one-hit baseball. However, errors in the top of the first and fifth helped the Miners (6-8) take a 2-0 lead.
Konnor Scheidt tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with a monster opposite field home run over the left-center field fence that scored Myles Dentin.
The Hoppers took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth when Reynolds singled and advanced to third after Kolby Webb was struck by a pitch and Hutcheson singled to left field. Scheidt’s sacrifice fly scored Reynolds to give the Hoppers a 3-2 advantage.
However, Madisonville knotted the game up again at 3-3 in the seventh after Pet Britton singled and moved to third following a walk and a Hoppers’ error. Britton scored on a single by Coulter Hamilton.
However, Hoptown relief pitcher Gabe Eddington mowed down the next three batters he faced to keep the score 3-3.
Powell was credited with the win, going six innings and striking out four while walking one and not allowing an earned run.
Alex Fisher suffered the pitching loss despite holding the Hoppers to only one hit for four innings.
Chance Sweeney had a pair of doubles for the Hoppers. Dentin also had a double for Hoptown. Scheidt drove in three runs on the night.
Score by Innings:
Madisonville Miners 100 010 100 – 3 4 1
Hoptown Hoppers 000 021 01x – 4 7 5
WP – Powell
LP – Fisher
Leading Hitters: Hoptown – Reynolds (1B), Hutcheson (2 1B), Dentin (2B), Scheidt (HR, 3 RBI), Sweeney (2 2B).
File Photo