The Caldwell County Tigers won their seventh-straight 7th District baseball title on Thursday night, topping Madisonville-North Hopkins 10-3 at Riverside Park in Dawson Springs. All seven of the championships have come at the expense of the Maroons. The Tigers have won six of seven to enter the regional tournament at 23-6, while the Maroons have dropped six of seven to slip to 17-16 overall.
The Tigers took an early 4-0 lead with 2 runs in each of their first two at-bats. Jase Felker got things started with an RBI triple, before coming home on a passed ball. Caldwell doubled its lead in the second inning with an RBI double by Easton Thompson and a Gabe East single that brought home Cody Holub.
In the bottom of the fifth, Bryce Thomas doubled in 2 runs to stretch the lead to 6-0, before the Maroons finally got to Caldwell starter Shane Burns in the top of the sixth. Madisonville got its first run on a wild pitch, followed by a score on a ground out. Burns issued a bases-loaded walk for the third run, giving way to Bryce Thomas afterward.
The Tigers responded with 4 runs in the top of the seventh, highlighted by a double by East for his second and third RBI of the night. Thomas sat the Maroons down in order in the top of the seventh to close out the win.
Burns worked 5.2 innings for the win, allowing 3 runs on three hits with six strikeouts and six walks. Thomas got the last seven outs, yielding no hits and striking-out one. East had a couple of hits and 3 RBI, followed by Thomas, Thompson and Felker with a hit and 2 RBI each. Noah Brown, Dylan Gray, Oliver Parker and Tate VanHooser each had a hit.
Jacob Joseph took the loss for the Maroons, lasting 5.0 innings while surrendering 6 runs, 5 earned, on five hits with a couple of strikeouts and six walks. Alex Gray and Blake Reynolds each drove-in a run.
The Tigers will be looking for their third-straight 2nd Region championship at Christian County starting Monday. The draw for the tourney is Friday at Madisonville-North Hopkins.
