BURLINGTON, N.C. — The Elizabethton River Riders took a one-run lead into the bottom of the ninth but could not hold off the Burlington Sock Puppets, falling, 4–3, on a walk-off single Wednesday night at Burlington Athletic Stadium. Elizabethton (2–4) had tied the game in the ninth and briefly led before Burlington’s late-game rally sealed a heartbreaking loss.
The rundown
A pitchers' duel dominated the early frames, with neither side scoring until Burlington broke through in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly to take a 1–0 lead. Elizabethton answered in the sixth as Tu’alau Wolfgramm led off with a double, stole third and came home on a groundout from Jackson Berry to tie the game at 1–1.
The Sock Puppets reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the seventh, capitalizing on a wild pitch and sac fly to go up, 2–1. The River Riders then mounted a ninth-inning rally. After walks to Jordan Crosland and Josh Owens, a fielder’s choice and error brought home Crosland to tie the game. Cadyn Karl followed with a go-ahead RBI double to left field, giving Elizabethton a 3–2 lead.
But the Sock Puppets answered right back. With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Burlington’s Zach Jackson singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He scored the tying run on Chancellor Jennings’ RBI single, and Dom Krupinski delivered the walk-off with a ground ball single to second to bring home the winning run.
Stat of the game
4 — Crosland reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with two walks and three stolen bases, setting the table for the River Riders’ late push.
Notes
- Crosland extended his hit streak to five games and raised his season average to an Appalachian League-leading .556.
- Karl recorded his first double of the season in just his second game played.
- Wolfgramm tallied his third double and second stolen base of the summer.
- Elizabethton drew seven walks and stole five bases as a team.
- River Riders pitchers combined for seven strikeouts on the night.
Next up
The River Riders (2–4) return to Burlington on Thursday to finish their two-game set against the Sock Puppets (4-2). First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be audio streamed live on AppyLeague.com.
