Marshall County hosted the annual Preston Cope Wood Bat Classic on Saturday, sweeping both games with an 8-3 win over Caldwell County and a 4-2 victory against Hopkinsville. The event, held each year, benefits the Preston Cope Foundation, which provides scholarships to Marshall County students.
The Marshals’ 8-3 win over Caldwell came behind a strong offensive showing and great outing on the mound from Thomas Bagby. Over 6 1/3 innings, Bagby allowed just two hits and struck out 13. Marshall held the Tigers scoreless through six before three late runs in the seventh broke up the shutout.
Clayton Wyatt opened the scoring with an RBI groundout in the first. In the second inning, Kannon Dunn singled in a run, followed by a two-run single from Kash Chiles to make it 4-0.
Hayden Gray added an RBI single in the third, and Dunn followed with a run-scoring double for a 7-0 lead. Dunn later brought in the final Marshall run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. Caldwell’s three runs in the seventh came on a two-run double by King, who later scored on a wild pitch.
Caldwell 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 | 3 2 3
Marshall 1 3 3 0 1 0 x | 8 10 1
Marshall: Doughty 1/4, Dunn 2/2 (2B, 3 RBI), Chiles 3/4 (2 RBI), Wyatt (RBI), Cope 1/3, Clevidence 2/3 (2B), Gray 1/3 (2 RBI)
Marshall: Bagby 6.1 (1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 13 SO), Chiles 0.1 (1 H, 1 R, 2 BB), Story 0.1 (0 H, 0 R, 1 BB)
Caldwell: Wells 1/3, King 1/3 (2 RBI)
Caldwell: Ramage 2.0 (7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB), Cortner 4.0 (3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 SO)
Two runs in both the second and sixth innings were enough for the Marshals to secure a 4-2 win over Hopkinsville and complete a sweep at the Preston Cope Wood Bat Classic. Kaden Merrick earned the win with six innings on the mound, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out one.
Marshall took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Thomas Bagby drove in Kash Chiles—who had doubled—with a groundout, and Maddox Cope reached on an error that allowed another run to score.
Hopkinsville fought back to tie the game with runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but the Marshals answered in the bottom of the sixth. Bagby doubled and Cope followed with an RBI single to bring in the final two runs and seal the 4-2 victory.
Hopkinsville 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 | 2 6 2
Marshall 0 2 0 0 0 2 x | 4 7 0
Marshall: Doughty 1/3, Chiles 2/3 (2B), Bagby 2/3 (2B, 2 RBI), Cope 2/3 (2 RBI)
Marshall: Merrick 6.0 (5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 SO), Shadowen 1.0 (1 H, 0 R, 1 SO)
Hopkinsville: Powell 1/3, Kellum 2/3, Mayes 2/3, Guier 1/3 (RBI)
Hopkinsville: Powell 6.0 (7 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 5 SO)
