A seven-run fifth inning powered Crittenden County past Caldwell County 9-7 on Saturday and into the semifinals of the 2nd Region baseball tournament.
Caldwell (13-13) held leads of 4-0 and 6-2, but could never draw even again after Crittenden’s big inning in opening-round action at University Heights Academy in Hopkinsville.
The Rockets (23-9) sent 11 men to the plate in their big inning.
Caden McCalister’s infield single drove in the go-ahead run for Crittenden, putting the Rockets up 7-6 in the top of the fifth inning. Crittenden would extend the margin to 9-6 before the inning was over.
Caldwell got one run back in the bottom of the fifth on a single to left by Tate VanHooser.
Down 9-7 in the seventh, Caldwell put a pair of runners on base, but a pop-up to third ended the contest.
Maddox Carlson, Ben Evans and Braxton Winders were each 2-for-4 at the plate for Crittenden.
The Tigers outhit the Rockets 14-12, led by VanHooser’s 4-for-5 day. VanHooser homered to left in the fourth inning and drove in three runs in the contest. Brady Holeman went 3-for-5 with a double.
Logan Bailey, the second of three Rocket hurlers, picked up the win on the mound. He went six innings, allowing three earned runs on 10 base hits.
Carlson pitched the seventh inning, allowing just one hit and striking out two, to nail down the save.
Crittenden will take on Henderson County in Sunday’s 1 p.m. regional semifinal at UHA.
