Photo by Tom Rogers
Friday night baseball in Owensboro, KY called for a matchup between the two top dogs in the Ohio Valley League. The Hoptown Hoppers traveled for their matchup with the Riverdawgs, a game of which they lost, 10-9, in extra innings.
Hoptown got on the board first with a Blake Jackson double that scored Cole Cummings and Max Remy.
However, Owensboro sent one yard for two runs to tie it up in the bottom of the first.
The Riverdawgs kept on trucking, sending a 3-run shot out of the park in the second. They also scored two more off a double before the inning concluded.
Trailing 7-2, Jackson refused to let the Hoppers fade away.
Jackson stepped to the plate in the bottom of the third and ripped his fifth home run of the season to also score Cummings and Cody Hartness. Hoptown added another run via an Owensboro error and suddenly it was 7-6.
The Riverdawgs would add two runs in the bottom of the third to give themselves a bit of a cushion down the stretch.
Other than Cummings driving in John Michael Reed in the sixth, it was a pitcher’s duel until the eighth when Cord Johnson scored on a wild pitch and a RBI by Remy scored Malik Blaise to tie it up.
Neither team could close it out in regulation, taking the game to extra innings.
The Hoppers went down in order to start the 10th while the Riverdawgs loaded the bases with no outs.
Hoptown managed to record back to back outs but came up just short by walking in the winning run for Owensboro.
Sam Traver, who walked in the winning run, took the loss.
Tyler Coppo, fanning three without allowing a hit, earned the win.
Jackson’s fifth HR of the year has him tied for the lead in the OVL standings. His 5-RBI game also extends his OVL-best to 19 on the season.
The Hoppers will return home to host the Muhlenberg Stallions on Saturday night.
First pitch is set for 7 P.M.
