(From Hopkinsville)  The Owensboro Oilers solidified its hold at the top of the Ohio Valley League standings with a 6-3 win at second-place Hoptown on Saturday. Owensboro used a three-run fifth inning to seal the win.
     Owensboro (23-10) got on the scoreboard in the first inning when Braxton Brinkley led off with a walk and went to second on a sac bunt by Alfred Bohorques. Jake Wilson then walked and Tyler Rachel singled to load the bases, and Brinkley scored on a sacrifice fly by Christian McHatton to give the Oilers a 1-0 lead.
     Hoptown (19-13) scored in the second inning when Jake McAdams hit a two-out double and scored on Michael Haun;s triple to tie the game at 1-1.
     The Oilers took the lead for good in the fourth inning when Harold Diaz and Dalton West each walked and advanced on two wild pitches, scoring Diaz to give Owensboro a 2-1 lead.
     That lead expanded in the fifth inning when Brinkley reached on an error and stole second. Bohorques walked and Wilson reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Rachel was then hit by a pitch, scoring Brinkley, and Bohorques scored on a wild pitch, moving Wilson to third. Wilson scored on a sac fly from Diaz to give the Oilers a 5-1 lead.
     Hoptown responded in the bottom of the sixth when Taylor Ellis led off with a double, went to third on a single by Scotty Adkins and scored when the Owensboro catcher retrieved a wild pitch and threw wildly towards the pitcher to get Ellis out. Ellis, who had retreated to third, scored on the errant throw to cut the Oilers' lead to 5-2.
     The Hoppers scored again in the seventh when Bubba Olivera led off with a single, went to third when Mitchell Gallagher reached on an error and scored on a groundout to trim the deficit to 5-3.
     Owensboro tacked on an insurance run in the ninth when Brinkley led off with a single, went to second on a sac bunt, went to third on a groundout and scored on a single by McHatton to end the scoring at 6-3.
     Owensboro was led at the plate by Rachel, who went 2-for-4. Brinkley scored three runs and McHatton had two runs batted in for the Oilers.
     Hoptown was paced by Adkins and Taylor Ellis, who each had two hits. Ellis and McAdams each doubled for the Hoppers, and Haun picked up a triple.
     Starter Brandon Jean (4-0) got the win for Owensboro, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits, striking out five and walking four in five-plus innings. Cable Wright pitched the sixth inning, allowing one unearned run on one hit, striking out one in one inning. Jordan Kesson came on in the seventh, allowing no runs on no hits, striking out one in one inning. Kevin Meyer entered in the eighth inning, allowing one hit in two-thirds of an inning, while Morgan Grisham pitched the last one-third of the eighth inning. Mark Chemello earned his sixth save of the season, allowing no hits and striking out one in the ninth inning.
     For Hoptown, starter Dylan Stewart (1-1) took the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) on three hits, striking out two and walking five in four-plus innings. Taylor Blair came on in the fifth, allowing two hits and striking out one in three innings of work. Reese Johnson entered in the eighth, allowing one run on one hit, walking two in 1 1/3 innings, and Josh Drake closed out the game, allowing two hits in two-thirds of an inning.