DANVILLE, Va.- After completing a two-game sweep of one of the top teams in the Appalachian League, Danville welcomed another same-caliber team into American Legion Field. The Bots and the Pulaski River Turtles competed in a doubleheader Thursday, including the makeup game between the two from July 1st.
In Game 1, Pulaski’s right fielder Ty Wisdom hit an RBI single to right field to plate two of his teammates in the first inning. The Bots responded with a single from left fielder Bruce Wyche and then a triple to score him by right fielder Garrett Shull. Center fielder Khaleel Pratt then hit the first pitch he saw and collected an RBI on his groundout to short.
The score was 2-2 until the fifth inning, where a balk on Bots’ reliever Clayton Cooksey led to the River Turtles taking the lead. Pulaski’s Aden Malpass added two more on a single to right. They added one more run in the sixth on a wild pitch from the other Bots’ reliever, Michael Daniel, leading to a 6-2 ballgame.
The bottom of the sixth was where the momentum changed. It started with a seven-pitch walk from Pratt and a four-pitch walk from catcher Gavin Brewer. First baseman Aimon Chandler and third baseman Jaxon Goldberg hit back-to-back RBI singles to cut the lead in half for Pulaski, 6-4.
Second baseman Zach Altamura then laced a double to left, plating both Chandler and Goldberg. It was just a couple feet away from being a home run, 345 feet the final distance. It was a tie game until Wyche changed that with a single to left to score Altamura.
The Bots held in the top of the seventh, closer Justin Ritz securing his first save of the summer. Danville took Game 1, 7-6, behind a five-strikeout day from starter Matt Spada.
However, Game 2 was a different tale. The Bots fell 2-0 while being no-hit by Pulaski’s Jeremiah Newman. Newman pitched a complete game, racking up ten strikeouts in the process.
Each team won one game, and they will face each other again on Friday. It will only be one game, beginning at 7 p.m. The theme is Super Speedway Night at the Ballpark. Race to the park to cheer on the Bots on the final Friday night game of the season. There will be fireworks postgame, sponsored by Unique Industries.
For more information on 2025 single-game tickets, season tickets, corporate partnerships and group outings, email matt@danvilleotterbots.com or call the Otterbots front office at 434-554-4487. The Danville Otterbots will play their home games at American Legion Field at Dan Daniel Memorial Park.
