ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. — The Elizabethton River Riders put together a dominant performance Thursday night, taking down the Bluefield Ridge Runners, 15-3, in just seven innings thanks to a high-powered offense and solid pitching. The River Riders’ explosive attack sealed the game via the run rule, closing out the series opener in emphatic fashion.

The rundown

Elizabethton wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, putting up two runs in the first inning. After Bluefield’s Colin Guerra homered to give the Ridge Runners a 1-0 lead, the River Riders responded in the bottom half with a leadoff walk to Jordan Crosland, followed by a double from Drew Dickerson and a pair of RBI groundouts by Hudson Brown and Jayden Lobliner to take a 2-1 lead.

The River Riders then continued to build on their lead, scoring in every inning except for one. Their biggest surge came in the fourth, when Elizabethton erupted for five runs on three hits and brought nine men to the plate. Lobliner added his second home run of the summer in the fifth, a two-run blast which extended the lead to 14-2. With the game in hand, the River Riders closed it out in the seventh, adding another run to complete the 15-3 win.

The pitching

Jake Yeager (1-1) earned the win for Elizabethton, going five solid innings while allowing just two earned runs on four hits. Yeager struck out six Bluefield batters and walked two, keeping the Ridge Runners’ offense at bay. Andrew DuMont and Ben Martin combined to throw two innings of relief, ensuring the game ended with a run-rule victory.

Bluefield’s efforts

Bluefield struggled to keep pace with Elizabethton’s offense. Despite a solo home run from Guerra in the first inning, Bluefield was unable to string together consistent offense. Will McDonald (0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing five earned runs over three innings of work.

Notes

• Dickerson had his best game of the season, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
• Lobliner added a two-run home run in the fifth inning, finishing with a total of three RBIs.
• Brown also contributed significantly with three RBIs, including a clutch two-out single that drove in a run during the big fifth inning.
• Crosland reached base three times, contributing three of the River Riders’ runs.

Stat of the game

3 — Dickerson picked up his first three hits of the season, going 3–4 with a double, RBI and two runs scored.

Next up

The River Riders (4-9) look to extend their two-game winning streak as they face the Bluefield Ridge Runners (7-5) in the series finale at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark. The game will be streamed live on AppyLeague.com.