One night after clinching the OVL West Division title for the third straight year, the Hoptown Hoppers moved a game closer to clinching the league’s best record and home field advantage throughout the postseason with a 7-5 win in 10 innings at Henderson Friday.
Ben Huber led off the tenth inning with a solo home run, and Chandler Kendall followed with a two-run shot that proved to be the game-winner. Kendall also had a solo homer in the fourth inning as part of a two-hit, three RBI night. Hunter Evans also homered for the Hoppers.
The Hoppers overcame an early 4-0 deficit with two runs in the fourth inning and single runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
Tyler Walton pitched 3.1 innings of one-hit baseball and struck out four as the hoppers chipped away at the Henderson lead. Brennan Crooms allowed one run in the 10th but retired the side for his seventh save.
Hoptown clinched the OVL West Division Thursday when their win at Fulton moved them 4.5 games ahead of second place Paducah with four games to play. The Hoppers own the league’s best record at 24-12 with three games to play. East Division leading Owensboro has a record of 22-13. The teams meet Saturday night at Hopkinsville High for Fan Appreciation Night and YourSportsEdge.com Night at the ballpark. A Hopper win over the RiverDawgs clinches no worse than a tie for the league’s best record.