Trigg County pitcher Jake Terrell took a line drive off the leg from Hopkinsville’s John Duvall in the fifth inning of a 1-0 game. While the Wildcat senior was walking off the pain and talking to the trainer, Trigg Coach Tim Bush motioned to the dugout to get a pitcher to warm up. After Terrell threw a couple of warmup pitches, he told Bush the bullpen pitcher could sit down. He then retired six of the final seven batters to help the Wildcats to a 6-0 win in the quarterfinals of the Second Region Baseball Tournament Monday at Christian County High School.
Terrell scattered seven hits and struck out seven during his 100-pitch effort. He didn’t walk anyone.
Trigg County would need Terrell’s strong performance as Hopkinsville kept the Wildcat bats at bay early behind the pitching of Robert Justus. The Tiger junior pitched out of jams in the first four innings, twice getting a strikeout to get out of bases loaded situations.
The Wildcats struck for five runs in the fifth inning to break the game open. Darrin Brown led off with a single. Jacob Kent, his courtesy runner, was sacrificed to second and scored on an Andrew Williamson single. After an Ashton Plymale single, Micah Brown singled home Williamson for a 3-0 lead. Nick Ahart doubled home two runs to chase Justus from the game. Riley Stallons greeted Zach Caudill with a double to round out Trigg’s scoring.
Justus struck out three and allowed eight hits for Hoptown, who got three hits and a double from Caleb Bapp. Blake Balthrop also had two hits for Hoptown, whose season ends with a record of 9-22.
Stallons and Williamson each had two hits for Trigg County, with Ahart and Savion Radford collecting doubles.
The win is Trigg County’s first over Hopkinsville in three career region tournament games. The shutout was Trigg’s first in region tourney history.
Trigg County (19-11) advances to the semifinals Tuesday at 5:30 weather permitting.
