ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. - The River Riders had multiple chances to close the game out in the ninth, but a fielding error proved too much to handle in a 7-5 defeat to Johnson City at Northeast Community Credit Union ballpark. Elizabethton lost their seventh straight game in a frustrating fashion.
How it Happened:
After both teams were held scoreless through the first two, the River Riders broke through in the third. Nick Riordan drew a walk, advanced to second off a wild pitch, and stole third base. Brady Richardson took advantage, skying a sacrifice fly RBI to center, giving Elizabethton a 1-0 lead at the end of the third.
With two outs in the top of the fourth, Johnson City responded. A solo homer by Eli Thurmond squared things up at one after four.
In the fifth, the Doughboys took their first lead. Blake Herrell first reached base after Riordan picked up a fielding error when a ground ball sneaked past his glove. Two straight strikeouts followed before Kenyon Hughes Jr. knocked a two-run home run to right field. Elizabethton loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but Mikey Vanderheyden grounded into an inning-ending double play, locking in the 3-1 lead for Johnson City through the fifth inning.
No runs were scored until the seventh, where it appeared that Elizabethton would score enough to pull out a much-needed victory. Richardson roped an RBI double, Vanderheyden smoked an RBI single, Miles Shore drew an RBI walk, and Vanderheyden later scored after the ball was lost in the Doughboys dugout. The 5-3 score held until the ninth, when disaster struck for the River Riders.
Colin Bolla had come up clutch already, coming in the eighth and striking out the only two batters he saw with the bases loaded. After striking out Brennon Seigler to start the ninth, Gabe Tanous drove a single, and Hughes Jr drew a full-count walk. Then both runners successfully pulled off a double steal, and Noah Cox drove in Tanous with a sacrifice fly RBI.
That left Johnson City with two outs in the ninth, down by one, with the tying runner Hughes Jr at second. Hughes advanced to third thanks to a wild pitch, and Nate Eisfelder drew a walk to put runners at the corners.
Then, the pinch hitter Anthony Temesvary came to the plate. He popped up a ball to second base, which should have ended the game. However, Riordan lost the ball in the night sky, and Hughes Jr was gifted a tying run. A two-RBI single from Patrick Walsh then gave Johnson City a 7-5 lead in stunning fashion.
Elizabethton tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth, but they could not recover. Shore and Clifford reached as the tying runners, but both failed to score, and the Doughboys shockingly clinched the season series.
Game Notes:
- Shore and Darden played in their first game for the River Riders.
- Bolla picked up the blown save and loss, but only one of his four runs was earned.
- Julien Hachem earned the save, shutting the door on Elizabethton in the ninth.
- The River Riders used four pitchers in the loss.
Up Next:
Elizabethton (17-19) will try to pick up the pieces against Johnson City (19-17) at TVA Credit Union Ballpark. First pitch is set for Saturday at 7 p.m.
