Bluefield, Va. — Johnson City battled late in the game on Friday night, looking for a comeback win, but Bluefield shut it down with a walk-off home run, winning, 7-4.
It was a strong first two innings for each starting pitcher. Johnson City’s Reid Brosnan made it look easy, setting down the first six outs in just seven batters faced, allowing no hits. Bluefield’s starter, Carlos Caraballo, followed suit, striking out two and allowing just a single hit going into the third.
Bluefield would strike first in the bottom of the third as Collin Guerra doubled into left field, scoring Jackson Thomas. That was followed by another double, this time by Bryce Campbell, who brought in Jeorge Valdes Jr. and Guerra, making it a 3-0 game early.
Kade Foulke would come in to pitch the fourth and fifth innings, striking out three and giving up one hit with no runs scored.
The bats would finally come alive for the Doughboys in the top of the sixth. Dane Morrow was hit by a pitch and scored moments later, as Logan Fyffe ripped a line drive to the right-field wall, bringing Morrow all the way around to home.
After a couple of walks loaded the bases, Fyffe came home on a wild pitch to the backstop, making it a one-run ballgame. Bluefield came right back in the bottom half of the inning, as a Valdes single to center field saw Cristino Tufano cross home plate, making it 4-2 at the end of the sixth.
The offenses went quiet in the seventh and eighth innings as both sides struggled to get baserunners on. Ethan Breslin held things down on the mound for Johnson City during that time, retiring six of the seven batters who saw the plate.
Down to their last three outs, the Doughboys needed some late-game heroics at the plate. Trey Majette got things started with a leadoff single to right field. Jackson Jones followed that up with a line-drive double off the batter's eye, making him the tying run on second.
After Lleyton Daily was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs, Morrow hit a groundball to the infield and beat out the double play throw to score Majette. Fyffe then turned on the first pitch he saw, cracking a line drive into right and bringing Jones across to make it a tie ballgame, 4-4.
After failing to take the lead, the Doughboys had a chance to hold the Ridge Runners at bay and force sudden death.
Valdes and Cole Decker started things off for Bluefield with back-to-back singles, but Doughboys closer Griffin Howell retired the next two batters, putting Bluefield down to their last out. That was until cleanup hitter Ryan Niedzwiedz crushed a walk-off, three-run homer 425 feet over the right-field wall, lifting the Ridge Runners to a 7-4 win on their home field.
The Johnson City Doughboys will suit up again tomorrow, right back at Bowen Field for Game 2 of the three-game series against the Bluefield Ridge Runners. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
