BURLINGTON, NC. — Elizabethton scored the first six runs in the contest and controlled the game in a 13-7 win over Burlington at Burlington Athletic Stadium. The River Riders avenged their sudden death loss yesterday to split their road doubleheader at the Sock Puppets.

How it Happened:

Elizabethton started hot, scoring four runs in the first inning. Noah Haught knocked in an RBI double to left field, and Evan Damario smashed a 366-foot home run to left field to give the River Riders a 4-0 lead. The score would stay the same until the third inning.

Bo Strickland was rewarded for his patience at the plate with an RBI walk, and Jackson Reardon followed that up with a sacrifice fly RBI to center field to make it 6-0 Elizabethton in the top of the third. In the bottom of the third, Deacon Pomeroy knocked in a RBI single to make it 6-1 through three innings.

The River Riders proceeded to score the next three runs. Carter Johnstone hit an RBI double in the fourth, then Austin Rose drilled a two-RBI double in the fifth to make it 9-1 Elizabethton. The Sock Puppets understood the game was slipping away and started to rally.

Pomeroy crushed a 410-foot three-run home run to center field in the fifth inning to cut into the Burlington deficit, 9-4. Then in the sixth inning, the Sock Puppets scored another three runs. Orlando Fernandez grounded an RBI single, Braden Maranto stole home, and Pomeroy continued his fantastic individual day with an RBI single to cut the River Riders' lead down to two. The score was 9-7 after six innings, but that was the last time Burlington would score.

In the seventh, Haught hit an RBI single and Johnstone earned a two-RBI single to give the River Riders a 12-7 lead. Lastly, in the ninth, Johnstone delivered his fourth RBI of the day with an RBI single to wrap up the scoring at 13-7 Elizabethton.

Connor Fuhrer ensured that the Sock Puppets wouldn't threaten the River Riders, earning his first save of the season after pitching three scoreless innings to close out the game for Elizabethton.

Game Notes:

• Elizabethton only used three pitchers in the win.
• Four River Rider batters had multiple RBI (Johnstone, Damario, Rose, Haught).
• Brendin Oliver, the starter for Elizabethton, had an eight-to-one strikeout-to-walk ratio.
• The River Riders are now 2-1 on the road in 2026.

Up Next:

Elizabethton (3-4) will return home to Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark on Saturday. They will face off against the Johnson City Doughboys for the third time in the last five games. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.