After being shut out in Paducah on Wednesday night, the Hoptown Hoppers returned to their home field to host the Fulton Railroaders on Thursday. Needless to say, their bats brought the bark as they smacked 10 hits and scored 12 runs to take the decision, 12-4.
It was the sixth time in 12 games that the Hoppers scored eight or more runs, the fourth time in double digits.
Fulton caught the crowd’s eye in the first with a 2-run shot that went out of the park. However, slugger Blake Jackson answered by going yard in the bottom of the first that also scored Max Remy.
In the third, Remy grounded out but managed to score Malik Blaise to take a 3-2 lead.
After a first inning miscue, starting pitcher Brian Coffey kept Fulton in check as the Hopper offense unleashed on the Railroaders.
Jackson, Aidan Elias, John Michael Reed and Matt Keane each popped off a run in the fourth to extend Hoptown’s lead, 7-2.
Keane then drove in Cody Hartness in the fifth to tack on another run.
In the sixth, Fulton got back on the board by sending a single shot over the fence. However, runs by Cole Cummings, Remy, Hartness and MJ Rookard combined for a four-spot to answer. Leading 12-3, Hoptown handled business by allowing just one more run in the ninth before claiming victory.
Coffey earned his third win of the season by going six innings to fan six and allow just three runs. Kody Davidson (four innings, seven runs, three strikeouts) took the loss.
Jackson’s homer was his fourth of the season, the second most in the Ohio Valley League.
After popping off seven RBI in the season opener at Fulton, Keane took advantage of the Railroaders once again by going 2-5 at the plate and driving in three.
Hoptown (9-3) will take their hot bats with them to Owensboro Friday night for their matchup with the Riverdawgs (9-3). The two will play for the rights to the OVL’s best record.