The Henderson Flash pounded out twelve hits and hit five home runs Tuesday night on the way to a 13-7 victory over the visiting Hoptown Hoppers. After splitting a pair of games with the Flash earlier this month, the Hoppers drop their fourth in five outings with a trip to face the Owensboro RiverDawgs coming up on Wednesday.
The Hoppers led 1-0 midway through the first, but a two-run home run by Henderson’s Nick Rucker in the bottom of the inning gave the Flash a lead they would never surrender.
Zayd Brannigan singled home a run in the top of the third to pull the Hoppers to within a run at 3-2, but a four-run fourth, including a two-run home run by Cody Schultz, put the Flash in control up 6-2.
Trailing 8-3 in the top of the sixth, the Hoppers got a two-run triple from BJ Banyon to trim the margin to three. However, the Flash greeted Hopper relief pitcher Arlon Butts with back-to-back homers by Brandon Daniels and Trevor Campbell in the bottom of the sixth for a 10-5 score.
The Hoppers answered with a pair of runs in the seventh, but Derek Wagner smacked the Flash’s fifth long ball of the night to restore the five-run advantage in the bottom of the eighth.
Hoppers starter Grant Golomb took the loss, lasting four innings and allowing seven earned runs on six hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts.
Banyon, Brannigan, and Jojo Cruz each had a pair of hits for the Hoppers, with Banyon and Brannigan each driving in two runs.
Blake Ciuffetelli earned the win for the Flash with five innings of work. He gave up three runs on three hits and struck out six.
