GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - Jackson Holmes was in a tough predicament. With two outs in the second, already down 3-0 and the bases loaded, Holmes fell behind 3-0 in the count. But he found a way to rip and claw back, and got a fly out to end the inning, and the game Friday night changed right there, with Elizabethton then cruising to a 7-3 victory.
An error and a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the first inning for Holmes put a couple on before Ian Daughtery smacked a three run-homer to put Elizabethton behind. But after Holmes battled to leave them loaded in the second, the River Rider offense rolled off the mat.
Following two walks to start the inning, Issac Williams lined a double into deep right field to cut into the lead and plate a run. Then, a few batters later a bases-loaded walk brought in another run and made it 3-2, with the bases loaded and none out. After a mound visit, Avery Owusu-Asiedu continued his scorching hot streak (two plus hits in each of his last six games) with a bases-clearing double to left-center field to put the River Riders out in front and give them a lead they would never relinquish.
Elizabethton added an additional run in the third and one more in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Peyton Basler to make it 7-3. Holmes had settled in by then, only allowing one base runner in his final three innings. Overall, he went five innings, allowing zero earned runs and striking out five batters. He would also pick up the win.
The River Rider bullpen was superb, allowing just three total base runners as Baker Cox (1 IP, 1 K), Jess Miller (2 IP, 3 K) and Cody Bowker (1 IP, 1 K) shut down the Flyboy offense in the last four innings and slammed the door on a 7-3 victory to improve to 12-15 on the year.
Up next, Elizabethton is back in action Saturday on the road against the division-leading Kingsport Axmen at 7 p.m. RHP Collin Rothermel will get the ball for the River Riders. You can listen to all the action live at https://www.appyleague.com/elizabethton/audio.
