KINGSPORT, Tenn. — Kingsport scored six of their 10 runs off of home runs and slugged their way to a 10-7 triumph at Ballad Health Field on Tuesday night. The Axmen sealed a playoff spot in the process and put Elizabethton in desperation mode.

How it Happened:

At first, it appeared that the River Riders would stay in control of their own playoff destiny. Miles Shore smacked an RBI single for the only run of the first inning, making it 1-0 Elizabethton.

In the second, Bo Strickland roped an RBI double. However, the River Riders proceeded to load the bases with one out, before Eli Evans grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to squander any chance for additional runs. The 2-0 score held until the fourth.

Then, the bats came alive for Kingsport. Carter Geffre hit a 403-foot homer, just left of center to clear the wall, to knot things up at 2-2.

Elizabethton responded with two sacrifice groundouts in the fifth, one from Austin Rose, the other was a fielder's choice roller off the bat of Mikey Vanderheyden. Quickly, the lead shifted back to the River Riders, 4-2.

Later in the inning, the Axmen hit another nuke. Cash Williams joined the party with a roped solo home run to left center. Easton Beach proceeded to strike out swinging with two runners in scoring position, keeping the score at 4-3 in favor of Elizabethton.

Finally, Kingsport took their first lead in the sixth inning. Seth Farni smashed a two-run homer to right, making it 6-4 in favor of the Axmen.

The lead did not last long, however. With two outs in the top of the seventh, Mikey Vanderheyden barely snuck in his first home run of the year, a skyed shot to the foul pole that only cleared the wall by eight feet. Suddenly, the game was deadlocked at six runs apiece.

When the matchup shifted to the bottom of the seventh, things shifted for good. With one out, Brady Richardson badly misplayed a pop fly, allowing Geffre to reach. Then, Beach batted him in with a double, and Antonio Fawcett proceeded to knock Beach in with a two out double of his own. Two unearned runs scored, and Kingsport gladly took the 8-6 advantage.

Nick Riordan provided a spark for the River Riders in the eighth. A lined solo homer to lead off the inning cut the deficit to one, but Elizabethton failed to get into scoring position afterwards.

Any hope for a comeback was then squandered in the bottom of the inning. After two quick strikeouts from relief pitcher Luke Billings, he suddenly had trouble hitting the zone. He gave up three straight walks before Beach hit a high bouncing ball in the infield for his second RBI. A wild pitch from Billings followed, allowing Garrett Luett to score. A potential 8-7 game turned into a 10-7 game entering the top of the ninth.

A leadoff walk led nowhere for the River Riders, and they failed to score a run in the ninth. The Axmen won the game, clinched a playoff berth and now Elizabethton needs a ton of help to make the postseason.

Game Notes:

• There were five combined home runs in the game, three of them were for Kingsport.
• Vanderheyden was the offensive standout for the River Riders with three RBIs.
• Farni also collected three RBIs for the Axmen.
• For Elizabethton to make the playoffs, they must win out, and Johnson City must lose out.

Up Next:

The River Riders (22-22) will play their final home game of the 2026 season against Kingsport (25-20). First pitch is set for Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.