JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The Burlington Sock Puppets took both games of a two-game road series against the Bristol State Liners this week, avenging a sweep at home by Bristol just last week.
Game 1 — Burlington 11, Bristol 0 (seven innings)
Burlington opened the series with a dominant 11-0 victory on Tuesday, winning in a seven-inning run-rule decision.
Right-hander Ryan Hench led the way for the Sock Puppets with five shutout innings. He allowed just three hits, walked three and struck out four to earn the win.
The scoring began with Wade Shelley’s solo home run — his first of the season — in the second inning. Ariel Antigua added an RBI single in the fourth, and Kayden Combs drove in a run on a groundout in the fifth.
Burlington broke the game open with four runs in the sixth, aided by three wild pitches and a triple by Combs. The Sock Puppets tacked on four more in the seventh on a passed ball, a two-run single from Dom Krupinski and Combs’ second RBI groundout of the game.
Bristol starter Alex Sotiropoulos took the loss, falling to 3-3 after allowing two earned runs over 3 2/3 innings with three strikeouts. The State Liners’ bullpen struggled, surrendering eight runs in relief.
Game 2 — Burlington 9, Bristol 3
Burlington’s offense stayed hot in Wednesday’s series finale, cruising to a 9-3 win behind another strong pitching performance.
Ty Bradle earned the win for the Sock Puppets, improving to 2-1 after five innings of three-hit, one-run ball with seven strikeouts.
Bristol struck first on an error in the opening frame, but Burlington responded quickly with a sacrifice fly from Dusty Vela and RBI singles by Preston Yaucher and Krupinski, giving the Sock Puppets a 3-1 lead after two.
Yaucher extended the lead with a solo home run — his second of the season — and a wild pitch brought in another run in the fourth. He added an RBI double in the sixth to make it 7-2 after Chris Patterson homered for Bristol in the bottom half.
In the ninth, a wild pitch and Krupinski’s sixth double of the year padded Burlington’s lead. Bristol plated one more in the bottom of the inning on Elijah Alexander’s RBI groundout.
Bristol starter Michael Fliss fell to 0-4 after allowing five runs over four innings with two strikeouts. The State Liners’ bullpen recorded six strikeouts but couldn't slow Burlington’s momentum.
Burlington carries a three-game winning streak into a weekend road series against the Elizabethton River Riders. Bristol begins a six-game road trip with a two-game set in Bluefield.
