ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. - The Elizabethton River Riders saw their hopes of an Appalachian League West title come to an end Friday night after a Game 1 loss to the Danville Otterbots in a doubleheader, but they did salvage a split.
In Game 1, the River Riders got out to an early lead after they got three in the first thanks to a Brendan Jones double, a Danville error and a fielder’s choice. However, that lead would not last long with the Otterbots putting up five runs in the second. All of the damage came with the bases loaded: Danville drew three walks, had a batter hit by a pitch and was the beneficiary of a wild pitch.
E-Town got one back in the second on an RBI double from DJ Dillehay. However, that is as close as the River Riders would get as the Otterbots would put up another five-run frame in the fourth. They got a two-run homer by Luke Lambert, an RBI single from Michael Callan Moss, a run-scoring wild pitch and a bases-loaded walk. The River Riders got two in the seventh, but that was not enough to keep their division hopes alive in a 10-6 loss.
In Game 2, things looked bleak for Elizabethton, as it surrendered seven runs in the first two innings to Danville, including a five-run second. However, the comeback effort would soon begin. In the bottom of the second, Kade Huff hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Hunter Porter for Elizabethton's first run.
The River Riders put up nine runs in the third. In total, they scored on a wild pitch, a two-run Skylar King double, a two-run single from Porter, a two-run double from Hayden Moore and a two-run Dylan Knowles double. When the dust finally settled, it was 10-7 River Riders.
The game would stay that way for the rest of the way in large part to reliever Marcello Mastroianni, who tossed 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, scattering only three hits across his outing and earning the victory.
Elizabethton will be back in action Saturday night, when it plays host to the newly-crowned West Champion Johnson City Doughboys. First pitch from Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark is set for 7 p.m.
