Parker Estes’s second home run of the night Wednesday sent the Fulton Railroaders and their fans home happy while it started the Hoptown Hoppers in the direction of a long, late bus ride home. Just before 11pm, Estes hit a walk-off home run with one out in the bottom of the night to give Fulton a 10-9 win over the Hoppers, and, in turn, end Hoptown’s four-game winning streak.
Estes’ heroics came after the Hoppers had scored two runs with two outs in the top of the final inning to tie the game.
For the first three innings Wednesday night, it looked as if the two teams would tilt the scoreboard. However, things then settled in and the pitchers took control for a long stretch of the game.
The Railroaders delivered a big “punch” in the opening inning. Fulton used six first-inning hits, including a two-run homer, to grab an early 5-0 lead.
The Hoppers did not take long to respond. Hoptown took advantage of two walks and a hit batter to score five runs of their own in the top of the second to even the game up at 5-5. The big blow in the inning was a three-run blast off the bat of Kurt Paldino.
The Railroaders used a walk and a pair of hits to generate two runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead back at 7-5.
Once again, Hoptown responded to tie the game up. This time the Hoppers turned two Fulton errors and a hit batter into a pair of runs to even the game at 7-7.
Fulton came right back with a lead-off home run from Parker Estes in the bottom of the inning to go back in front 8-7.
Just about the time it seemed as if the scoreboard might not be able to tally all the runs that were going to be scored, the game quieted down. Over the next three innings, pitches allowed no runs on just four hits combined between the two teams, as the game was still 8-7 going into the 7th inning.
In the bottom of the 7th, Jackson Case singled to lead off the inning for Fulton. He would advance on a wild pitch and then score on a single from Parker Estes to extend the Fulton lead to 9-7.
The Hoppers appeared to be just about done, and then came the two-out rally in the top of the 9th. After a hit batter and a pair of flyouts, Hoptown got things going for the first time since the top of the third inning. Zayd Branningan tripled to cut the Fulton lead to 9-8. B.J. Banyon then singled to drive in Brannigan and tie the game at 9-9. Banyon would eventually reach 3rd base but the Hoppers could not drive then run across and the game headed into the bottom of the 9th inning and to Estes’ game-ending blast.
Kurt Paldino was 1-4 with a home run and three RBIs for the Hoppers. Zayd Brannigan was 2-5 with a double, a triple, and an RBI. Alex Gonzales and B.J. Banyon added two hits each for Hoptown.
