(At Hopkinsville)  Owensboro pitcher Cam Wallace came into the game with little warning in the bottom of the first inning when starter Drew Lyles suffered an apparent injury after walking the first batter he faced. Wallace was up to the challenge, throwing seven innings of shutout baseball, allowing five hits, striking out seven and walking two en route to the 4-2 win at Hoptown Friday.
     Wallace (2-1) got the win, by Oilers relievers worked to fend off a late Hoppers rally. Kevin Meyer pitched the eighth inning, allowing one run on three hits and striking out one. Jake Wilson, who started the game at first base, came on in the ninth, but loaded the bases, allowing one run on one hit and striking out two in two-thirds of an inning. Mark Chemello entered the game and put out the fire, walking one in one-third of an inning for his second save of the season.
     Owensboro (15-7) pulled within a game of frontrunning Hoptown (16-6), scoring first when Braxton Brinkley led off with a single, was bunted over to second by Justin Cessna, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a single by Tyler Rachel to give the Oilers an early 1-0 lead.
     The Oilers struck again in the third inning when Brinkley reached on a two-base error, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Cessna and scored when Rachel reached on a fielder's choice to put Owensboro ahead 2-0.
     In the fifth inning, Owensboro scored again when Cessna got a one-out single, stole second and scored on a ground-rule double by Rachel to put the Oilers ahead 3-0.
     In the seventh inning, Harold Diaz popped his first home run of the season to put Owensboro ahead 4-0.
     Hoptown got on the scoreboard in the eighth inning when Matthew Alford got a one-out single, went to second on a single by Chris Carrier, took third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Taylor Ellis to narrow the gap to 4-1.
     The Hoppers rallied in the ninth inning when Ben Fisher was hit by a pitch, and stole second. Parker Cash hit a two-out single, moving Fisher to third. Chemello then entered the game, walking Scotty Adkins to load the bases, and Alford was hit by a pitch to score Fisher. Chemello was able to coax a fielder's choice to end the game with the 4-2 win.
     At the plate, Owensboro was led by Christian McHatton, who went 3-for-5. Rachel went 2-for-5 with a double and three runs batted in, while Brinkley scored two runs and Diaz had a home run for the Oilers.
     Hoptown was paced by Carrier, who went 2-for-5. Chris Brown popped a double for the Hoppers, and Cessna had two stolen bases.
     Brady Walsh (2-1) took the loss as the Hoppers' starter, allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits, striking out two and walking one in 4 2/3 innings. Bubba Olivera came on in the fifth inning, allowing no runs on two hits, striking out two and walking three in one inning of work. Trevor Blocker entered in the sixth inning, allowing one run on two hits, striking out two in 2 1/3 innings, and Josh Drake pitched the ninth inning, allowing no hits and striking out one.