Burlington falls to .500 in extra innings against Elizabethton
An extra innings battle saw the Elizabethton River Riders win the first of a two-game weekend series against the Sock Puppets. It was the third time this week that these two teams have met and the first sudden death occurrence of the season for both teams.
Burlington's catcher, Ryan McCrystal (ECU), started the scoring early in the bottom of the second. His double to right brought home Noah Murray (Duke), giving the team their first run of the game. McCrystal, who was playing just his 3rd game since returning to Burlington this summer, has been on a tear, slashing .571/.600/1.214 with two home runs, three doubles and five runs batted in.
In the third, the River Riders would take their first lead of the day. Catcher Jayden Lobliner blasted a three-run home run to out them up 3-1. That would be the first of two home runs Lobliner would hit Saturday night.
Noah Murray hit a double in the fifth to cut the Elizabethton lead to one. In the very next at-bat, Ryan McCrystal would, once again, come through with a two-out, two-run home run, putting the Sock Puppets back on top 4-3.
The lead wouldn't last long as Lobliner for the River Riders would continue his stellar night finding a way to plate the tying run. Elizabethton would add another in the 7th to take the lead back.
Yet again, the lead wouldn't last long. With Bromley Thornton standing at second base, Joe DeLanzo would sneak one through into center to tie the game 5-5, moments before, Brody Block would record his second hit of the day to bring in two runs and swing the momentum back for Burlington.
The game reached a game-changing moment in the ninth inning when Lobliner hit his second home run of the day, leveling the score at 7-7. Despite a strong effort from Burlington, the game was forced into extra innings. Burlington would be unable to score the runner at first in the tenth inning, leading to the loss in the tiebreaker.
Elizabethton is now 2-1 against the Sock Puppets this year with Burlington dropping to .500 on the season (5-5). Game two of the weekend series is a 5:30 eastern first pitch on Sunday in a seven-inning duel.
