(From Owensboro)  The Owensboro Oilers lost their Thursday night game with the Hoppers from Hopkinsville. The final score was 5 to 1.
     Hopkinsville scored first with a run in the top of the 1st inning. Brett Pirtle led off for the Hoppers, and moved around from first base to third base on a wild pitch. Pirtle scored on an RBI single by Nolan Fisher. The fast-moving game remained 1-0 until the Oilers tied with a run in the bottom of the 5th inning. With one out, Tyler Grogg reached base on a bunt. He moved around to third base on an errant pickoff throw. Grogg came across on a RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Brandon Morris.
     The Hoppers turned the game to their advantage for keeps with three runs in the top of the 7th inning. With one out, five consecutive batters for the Hoppers reached base: Seth Bancroft singled, Bobby Clark singled, Kaleb Brown reached on an error, Robert Friiedlein and Pirtle singled. Bancroft was put out trying to steal third base, but Clark, Brown and Friedlein all scored from a two-out bases loaded situation that followed from the Pirtle single, his two RBIs and two separate defensive errors. Hopkinsville poste one more run in the top of the 9th inning. Bancroft led off the visiting half with a single. This time it was his turn to go from first base to third base on a wide pickoff attemmpt. Bancroft scored on a RBI single by Brown. That made the margin 5-1 in favor of the road team, and so it remained.
     Hopkinsville starter Philip Menou pitched the complete game for the win. Mason Morris started for the Oilers and bore the loss, though only 2 of the 4 runs he allowed in seven innings of work were earned against him.