After a tough start in the Queen City Classic, the Hopkinsville Lady Tigers finished Saturday strong, winning three games in a row. Hopkinsville blanked Hunters Lane 12-0, edged out LaRue County 6-5, and then avenged a loss earlier in the day by finishing with a 3-2 win over Clarksville Northeast.
In the game with Hunters Lane, the Lady Tigers scored 12 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning and then cruised on out to finish the game in 2 ½ innings due to the mercy rule.
The Lady Tigers scored all 12 runs without the benefit of a hit, as Hunters Lane pitching struggled to get balls across the plate. Hopkinsville got 12 walks and 3 hit batters in the inning.
In the circle, Marley Hancock pitched all three innings, giving up no runs on no hits, striking out six and walking two.
In the game against LaRue County, the Lady Tigers scored four runs in the bottom of the 5th inning, capped off by a walk-off double from Kaitlyn Kaetzel, to take the 6-5 win over the Lady Hawks.
LaRue County took a 5-2 lead into the last half inning, after scoring in four of their five at bats. Hopkinsville strung together four straight hits without an out to open the bottom of the 5th. Taylor Joachim and Morgan Hodge started the rally with singles. Taiya Straight then drove both of them in with a triple. Marley Hancock drove in Straight with a single to tie the game at 5-5. Hancock advanced on a ground out and then scored the game winner on Kaetzel’s double.
Kaetzel was 2-3, with a double, and two RBIs. Morgan Hodge was 2-2, with a double, and two runs scored. Taiya Straight was 1-3, with a triple, two RBIs, and a run scored.
In the circle, Marley Hancock went all five innings, giving up 5 runs, three of them earned, on seven hits, striking out four, while walking three.
In their final game of the day, Marley Hancock drove in the game winning run in the top of the 5th inning as the Hopkinsville Lady Tigers picked up the win over Clarksville Northeast. Hancock’s RBI single put the Lady Tigers up 3-2 in the top of the 5th and then she closed out the win in the circle in the bottom half of the inning for the victory.
Hopkinsville took an early 1-0 lead in the game when Morgan Hodge led off the game with a double and then later scored on a steal of home plate.
Northeast came back with a run in the bottom half of the inning to even the game up at 1-1. Northeast used two singles, a walk and a wild pitch to score the run. They would extend the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the second inning after a couple of Lady Tiger errors.
Hopkinsville tied the game in the top of the 4th when Marley Hancock circled the bases for an inside the park home run to even the game up at 2-2, setting the stage for her game winner in the top of the fifth inning.
Hancock had a huge game, going 3-3, with a home run, two RBIs, and a run scored. Morgan Hodge was 2-3, with a double, and a run scored
Hancock went the distance in the circle, giving up two runs, one of them earned, on three hits, striking out two, while walking three.
