The River Riders dropped the series opener to Bluefield on Tuesday, 7-2.
Elizabethton (6-12) fell behind early against the Ridge Runners (11-7) after Armani Guzman (West Virginia) hit a sacrifice fly. Bluefield added on in the fifth on a Danny Perez (New Orleans) walk.
The River Riders answered in the sixth inning after Leandro Perez (Bethune Cookman) hit a two-run home run.
Bluefield took the lead back in the sixth inning on a Tre Keels (Miami University) single and scored two more runs on a Noah Smith (Illinois State) double. They added two more runs in the eighth on an Alex Marot (West Virginia) single.
A.J. Prendergast (Palm Beach Atlantic) got the win for Bluefield. He pitched six innings, allowed three hits and two runs, and struck out six. Elijah Karney (New Orleans) was tabbed with the loss for Elizabethton. He pitched two innings in relief and allowed three runs on four hits while striking out two.
Elizabethton starter Manning West (Walters State Community College) pitched five innings, allowing two runs on four hits with eight strikeouts while walking four. After the start from West and two innings from Karney, the River Riders got an inning out of Jacob Pointer (Roane State Community College). He allowed one hit and two runs and walked two.
After the start from Prendergast, the Ridge Runners also got one inning from Wyatt Sisk (West Virginia Tech). He struck out one and did not allow a hit. Preston Martinez (Kansas State) pitched the final two innings, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts. Sisk was credited with the hold and Martinez got the save.
Only three River Riders recorded a hit. Leandro Perez finished 2-for-4 with a home run. Carlos Irizarry (Penn State Harrisburg) went 1-for-4 while Kevin Hall Jr. (Purdue Fort Wayne) had a hit in his only at-bat. Jaxon Diamond (Murray State) went 0-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch and scored on the Perez home run.
For Bluefield, three different players finished with multiple hits. Keels finished 2-for-3 with one RBI, scored two runs and got walked. Smith finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and one walk. Chazz Grossington (Winthrop) finished 2-for-4 and scored two runs. Marot also finished 1-for-5 with two RBI. Guzman finished 1-for-2 with one RBI, two walks, and two runs.
The River Riders will wrap up their two-game series with Bluefield on Wednesday at Bowen Field. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. E.T.
