The Hopkinsville Tigers broke open a close game with four runs over their final two at bats to advance past University Heights 6-1 in an 8th District baseball semifinal Monday night. With the Tigers holding a 2-1 lead, Hopkinsville scored a run in the bottom of the 5th and three more in the bottom of the 6th to pick up the win.
The game was a battle throughout the early going. UHA took advantage of a Hopkinsville error to take a 1-0 lead after the top of the first.
In the bottom half of the inning, Hoptown came back with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead. The Tigers used a Blazer error and a bases loaded walk to score the runs.
From that point on, starting pitchers Preston Chaudoin and Drew McGowan took over a big stretch of the game. The game stayed at 2-1 until the bottom of the 5th inning.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, Landon Snyder led off the inning with a single. He would later steal second base and then score on a double off the bat of Ryan Myers to make it a 3-1 Hopkinsville lead.
The Tigers then put the game away with three more runs in the bottom of the 6th inning. Most of the damage came in the form of a two run double from Blake Balthrop.
Preston Chaudoin then set the Blazers down in order in the top of the 7th to finish the game.
Blake Balthrop led the Hopkinsville attack, going 1-3, with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored. Ryan Myers finished 1-3, with a double, and an RBI. Landon Snyder ended the game at 1-3, with a run scored.
Zach Naylor was 2-3 for the Blazers. In his final high school game, Drew McGowan went 2-2, with a run scored.
Preston Chaudoin was spectacular for Hopkinsville in picking up the win, going all seven innings, giving up one unearned run, striking out 13, while walking only two.
Drew McGowan took the loss for UHA, going five innings, giving up three runs, just one of them earned, striking out nine, while walking two.
Hopkinsville moves on to Tuesday night’s 8th District championship game, where they will take on Christian County.