GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The Elizabethton River Riders took advantage of Greeneville's miscues, scoring seven unanswered runs in the final two innings to knock off the Flyboys, 12-7, on Monday.
The scoring started early for Elizabethton, as Issac Williams (New Orleans) brought home Brendan Jones (Kansas State) on an RBI groundout in the top of the first, giving the Riders the early 1-0 lead.
Greeneville answered in the bottom of the first after Aidan Cannaday (Catawba Valley CC) lined a ball to the outfield, scoring Cameron LaLiberte (Arizona) and Jack O’Reilly (Villanova) to give the Flyboys a 2-1 lead.
In the top of the third, a throwing error by Alex Diaz (Cloud County CC) allowed Jones and Peyton Basler (Charleston Southern) to score, as Elizabethton retook a 3-2 lead.
LaLiberte gave the lead back to Greeneville with authority in the bottom of the fourth inning, hitting a two-run home run to dead center field and making it a 4-3 ballgame in favor of the Flyboys.
The game would reach a stalemate in the top of the fifth inning, as a Morgan Colopy (Indiana) RBI single scored Harrison Rodgers (Colorado Mesa) to tie the game at four runs apiece.
In his first game back from injury, Will Brown (Florida A&M) came through for the Flyboys in the bottom of the sixth, as his RBI double down the left field line scored Shemar Dalton (NC A&T) to break the tie. A wild pitch by Baker Cox (Spartanburg Methodist) allowed Canyon Brown (NC A&T) to score, giving Greeneville a 6-4 lead.
In the top of the seventh, Ty Peters (Queens) reached safely on a fielder’s choice, allowing Brennan Orf (SIU Edwardsville) to score, cutting the Flyboy lead to 6-5.
Canyon Brown pushed the Flyboy lead back to two, as his sac fly in the bottom of the seventh scored Cannaday to make it a 7-5 advantage.
Brian Yetter (Marist) opened the top of the eighth walking two batters and hitting another on thirteen total pitches, loading the bases for Rodgers. A two-RBI single scored Marcus Sanders (Phoenix College) and Jones, tying the game at seven. A wild pitch by Shane Tucker (LIU) scored Basler, giving Elizabethton an 8-7 lead. The inning ended with an error by O’Reilly, allowing Rodgers to score and pushing the River Rider advantage to 9-7.
Elizabethton extended their advantage in the top of the ninth, as an RBI double by Jones scored Cayden Phillips (Kansas State), putting the Riders up 10-7. The offensive onslaught ended for the River Riders in the final frame with a two-RBI single by Williams scoring Jones and Basler to give Elizabethton the 12-7 win.
The top four batters in the Elizabethton batting order accounted for 10 runs scored, 10 hits and seven RBI. Jones finished the night going 3-for-5 with one RBI and four runs scored. Rodgers finished a home run short of the cycle, going 4-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored. Williams went 4-for-5 with four RBI. Basler finished the night going 1-for-4 with three runs scored.
Maddox Pennington (Wabash Valley) (1-1) earns the win, going one inning, giving up one run off two hits, walking one and striking out two. Jacob Shapley (RCSJ-Cumberlands) earned his first save of the year, closing out the final two innings, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out one. Collin Rothermel (Kansas State) started the contest, going five innings, giving up four runs off seven hits, walking two and striking out five. Cox went one inning, allowing two runs off one hit, walking two and striking out three.
Yetter (2-4) was handed the loss, walking two and hitting another batter and allowing three runs. Jack Liberio Jr. (RCSJ-Cumberlands) went 4.2 innings in the start, giving up four runs, three of those being earned, off eight hits, walking two and striking out ten. Tyler Blankenship (Yuba College) went 2.1 innings in relief, allowing one run off two hits, walking two and striking out two more. Tucker closed out the game going two innings, allowing four runs, three of which were earned, off three hits, walking three and striking out three.
The two teams will meet again tomorrow, July 12 at Pioneer Park to close out the two-game series. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. It’s First Responder Night, with all first responders earning a free ticket to the game. It’s also another Two-for-One Tuesday, with select concession items available two for one dollar. Fans can purchase tickets at flyboysbaseball.com.
