ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. - Great pitching combined with a strong seventh inning on offense led the Sock Puppets to a 9-3 win at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark. Burlington responded after a tough loss on Tuesday to force a rubber match on Thursday.
How it Happened:
The River Riders led once in the contest. A first-inning RBI triple by Hank Gomric gave Elizabethton a 1-0 lead. They maintained that lead through the first two innings.
Burlington proceeded to score their first two runs in the third. Jack Beck roped an RBI single to center and Deacon Pomeroy had a sacrifice groundout to give the Sock Puppets a 2-1 lead through three innings.
In the fourth, Gomeric stole third base, and a throwing error from pitcher Christian Aiello to third allowed Gomeric to score the tying run, 2-2. No runs were scored from either team until the sixth inning.
Cuyler Baxter grounded a two-RBI double in the sixth to give Burlington a 4-2 lead through six innings of baseball. Then, the dam broke for Elizabethton's defense. The River Riders gave up three straight walks to open the seventh, and Pomeroy destroyed a 449-foot grand slam to left field to make it 8-2 Sock Puppets. Devin Mitchell added on an RBI sacrifice fly to wrap up a five run seventh inning, and make it 9-2 Burlington after the top of the seventh.
Hunter Tarchalski crushed a 386-foot solo home run to right-center in the seventh for Elizabethton, but no one would score the rest of the way. Burlington coasted to a decisive victory.
All three Sock Puppets pitchers were excellent. Braden Curry earned the victory, going three innings with a five-to-zero strikeout-to-walk ratio, and only allowed one run.
Game Notes:
- Burlington's three pitchers combined for an 18-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
- Tarchalski's home run was the third of his year, all at NCCU ballpark.
- Pomeroy had six RBI entering the game; he ended up with five RBI in the contest.
- Only six pitchers were used in the game for both teams, three by each team.
Up Next:
Elizabethton (5-6) concludes its three-game home series with the series decider against Burlington (6-4) on Thursday, June 18. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
