JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The Johnson City Doughboys went down big early to the Danville Otterbots, never crawling back in a 20-5 loss on Saturday night.
From the very beginning, the Otterbots had the offense scorching in the first few innings. In the first, the away side scored four runs after Devon Wilkes drove two in with a single and Hartwell backed him up with an RBI double.
In the second, Wilkes tallied more RBIs to jumpstart his monster night with an RBI double, with Hartwell behind him again driving in two on a double of his own. By the end of the second inning, it was 9-1 with Danville rolling.
The lone run for Johnson City in the first four innings was an RBI fielder’s choice from Patrick Walsh to drive in Eli Thurmond. The Doughboys’ offense left five total runners on base in the first four innings, with three singles being the only hits.
Danville took advantage of the quick start, adding 10 more combined runs between the fifth and seventh frames. Wilkes continued to rake, driving in eight total runs, and right behind him was Hartwell, who recorded five RBIs of his own.
The home team’s offense, in front of a rowdy crowd, came alive in the bottom of the fifth. Nate Thurmond singled again, then Nate Eisfelder and Blake Herrell both drove one in on singles of their own to make it 12-4.
But the deficit was just too big to cut into, with the only other run coming off of a Kenyon Hughes Jr. RBI single in the bottom of the eighth.
However, Daniel Quintero out of the bullpen was a positive for Johnson City. The tall righty, in front of his family in attendance, dealt 2 1/3 scoreless innings with four strikeouts and only one walk.
While he kept the Otterbots’ offense at bay, the away side pitching was consistent the entire game. The Danville pitching staff struck out 12 total batters, with all four of the arms recording multiple K’s of their own.
The Doughboys now move to 22-21 and a solo second place in the Appalachian League West after the 20-5 blowout loss. Johnson City is now only 0.5 games ahead of third-place Elizabethton River Riders with four key playoff push games to end the season.
Notables:
● Thurmond was a bright spot for the offense, going 3-for-4 with two runs and a walk.
● Quintero was a highlight for the struggling pitching staff, striking out four batters in 2 1/3 innings against an offense that had put up 20 before him.
● But the Doughboys gave up 16 hits and 13 walks that led to their demise and an offensive showcase for the Otterbots.
Up Next:
The series finale and Game 3 between the two is set for Sunday at 2 p.m. Join us at TVA Credit Union Ballpark for a Sunday Funday, as the team tries to avoid a sweep during a playoff push.
You can get your tickets at https://www.appyleague.com/johnson-city/tickets to join the festivities! Also, be sure to follow our Instagram, @jc_doughboys, to keep up with the team the rest of the summer season.
