The Caldwell County Tigers used a strong pitching performance from junior lefty Gabe East to knock-off hosts Hopkinsville 6-0 on Monday night at Tiger Field. Caldwell has won its last four and twelve of thirteen to improve to 17-3 overall, while Hoptown has lost four-straight to fall to 7-10 on the year.
Caldwell took the lead in the top of the second when a Hoptown error on a freshman Tate Van Hooser ground ball brought home senior Shane Burns. Hopkinsville put a man on first and second with no outs in the bottom of the inning, but Caldwell hurler Gabe East got a strikeout and then served up a double-play ball to senior Dylan Gray at shortstop, who flipped to senior 2B Noah Brown to touch the base and fire to senior 1B Shane Burns to end the threat.
Caldwell added a run in the third, with Brown coming home when Burns hit into a fielder’s choice. Another Hoptown error in the fourth allowed junior Oliver Parker to score, followed by another run in the fifth when Burns grounded-out to bring home senior Jase Ryan Felker for a 4-0 lead.
8th grader Tim Cansler pitched the final inning for Hopkinsville, yielding an RBI single to senior Bryce Thomas and being victimized by another Hoptown error for the final run.
East earned the win, working 5.0 innings and allowing only a single hit with six strikeouts and four walks. Brown pitched the final 2.0 frames, giving up two hits and striking-out two.
Brown, East, Felker and Parker each had a hit, with Burns going 1-2 with 2 RBI, and Thomas posting a hit and an RBI.
Junior Robert Justus took the loss, going 3.0 innings while allowing 2 runs, 1 earned, with three strikeouts and two walks. Junior Shane Hunt worked 3.0 innings, also giving up 2 runs, 1 earned, on two hits. He struck-out two and walked one. Cansler got the last three outs, also giving up 2 runs and 2 hits, while walking two.
Senior 1B Dalton Bearns had two of Hopkinsville’s three hits, with sophomore Blake Sowell getting the other.
Hoptown returns to the field on Tuesday when it hosts the 1-10 Hopkins County Central Storm. Caldwell is off until Saturday, when it travels to Lexington to face Somerset in the All “A” Classic.
