PULASKI, Va. - The Elizabethton River Riders fell to the Pulaski River Turtles on Sunday in a sudden-death tiebreaker.
Pulaski got on the board first in the third inning when JP Gauthier homered to right field. In the next frame, the River Turtles got another solo blast with Sam White leaving the yard to right field
The River Riders loaded the bases in their next at-bat but were only able to get one run on a walk from Austen Jaslove. The missed opportunity would loom large in the next inning when Pulaski struck for three, extending the lead to four runs through six.
E-Town would not go quietly into the night, however. Down to their final outs, River Riders put up five in the seventh, with run-scoring hits from Matty Wright, Kerry Herndon-Brown, Jaslove and Peyton Basler. Just like that, Elizabethton carried a 6-5 lead into the final frame of seven-inning Sunday.
However, the River Turtles would tie the game in the bottom half of the frame. With two outs and two strikes on the last batter, Divine Valle threw a wild pitch with a runner at third to tie the game at six.
In the game’s tiebreaker, the River Turtles went on offense and White hit a ball into the left-field corner to win the game.
The two teams were set to play Game 2 of the doubleheader, but the game was canceled in the first inning due to a water main breaking in the town, affecting Calfee Park’s water supply.
The River Riders will be back in action Tuesday against the Johnson City Doughboys. First pitch from TVA Credit Union Ballpark is set for 7 p.m.
