The Franklin Duelers built leads of 6-0 and 9-4, then held off a late charge by the Hoptown Hoppers for a 10-9 victory Tuesday night in Hopkinsville.
Landon Choboy doubled home a run with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull Hopkinsville to within a single run. A walk by Kurt Paldino then put two on with two outs, but a ground ball to shortstop ended the inning.
Hoptown (21-21) had one more chance to try to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth when B.J. Banyon singled. But a lineout to centerfield ended the game as the Duelers escaped with a one-run victory in the Ohio Valley League baseball matchup at Christian County’s Colonel Field.
Franklin (15-29) jumped on the Hoppers for five runs in the top of the first inning. The Duelers made it 6-0 in the top of the fourth.
But the Hoppers chipped away at the margin with two runs in each of the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. That made it 10-8 through seven.
The run in the eighth made it 10-9 and that’s how the contest ended.
Banyon had a big night at the plate for the Hoppers, going 4-for-6 with a double, a triple and one RBI. Valek Cisneros added a solo home run for Hoptown, which outhit the Duelers 14-11 in its final regular-season home date.
For Franklin, Alex Miller was 3-for-5 with a triple and three runs batted in. Lance Upright was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs.
Pat Coleman, the third of four Franklin pitchers, picked up the win on the mound. He went 1.2 innings, allowing one earned run on three base hits while striking out two.
Bracken Rice started for Hoptown and suffered the loss.
The Hoppers finish the regular season on Wednesday with a trip to Brooks Stadium in Paducah to face the Chiefs.
Hoptown begins the OVL playoffs Friday night with a visit to the Fulton Railroaders.
