JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The entire lineup pushed the Johnson City Doughboys (4-5) to the first home win of the season, defeating the Elizabethton River Riders (4-5) 11-8 during the Sunday matinee.
Elizabethton struck first in the first inning of play with a Noah Haught RBI double, scoring Carter Johnstone all the way from first base. But the Doughboys responded quickly with an impressive bottom.
Kenyon Hughes, in the leadoff spot today, notched a single to start it off and then a pair of walks from Noah Cox and Holden Pantier loaded the bases. Eli Thurmond, who has been on fire to start his summer, drilled a bases-clearing three-RBI triple to left to make it 3-1.
That was Thurmond's third triple of the season already, but it wasn't the only RBI knock in the inning. A pair of RBI doubles from Nate Eisfelder and Brennon Seigler extended the dominant lead 5-1.
Jax Bishop and Ricky O'Dette were both dominant on the mound to start for the Doughboys, with them both going two innings and only giving up one run. A one-run inning for both Johnson City and Elizabethton, with Seigler notching his second RBI of the game, kept things one-sided.
The Doughboys continued to pour it on with a three-run fourth. Kenyon Hughes Jr. launched his first homer of the season, a two-run shot, scoring Jackson Geiger after his bunt single.
"It was almost like a sigh of relief," Hughes said postgame. "It felt so good to see it go over the wall. I just try to compete any time I can, and my coaches here believe in me."
Pantier continued the high-scoring inning with his second double in two innings, making the lead 9-2. The Doughboys looked primed to win their first home game of the year, but the River Riders had other thoughts on their mind.
The Elizabethton offense accelerated in the fifth inning with a six-run, six-hit inning to cut into the lead. This included an Austin Rose homer for three of the runs, his second bomb of the season, to make the home crowd lean to the edge of their seats.
But, Doughboy pitcher Eli Bridenthal shut the door and looked unstoppable in his third appearance of the season. Bridenthal came in to relief in a jam in the sixth, but finished with three strikeouts to only two hits in 1 2/3 innings.
The Doughboys bounced back in the sixth, after Pantier recorded yet another RBI. This time, he sent a leadoff jack 407 feet for a solo shot, his first of the summer.
After Thurmond walked and a long delay to change the catcher for the River Riders, Jack Jones notched his second hit of the game on an RBI single. This put Johnson City up three going into the final inning of play, with a chance for JR Fordham to shut the door and gain the save.
Fordham did just that, striking out three batters and giving up only one hit. The home crowd at TVA Credit Union Ballpark erupted after seeing their team win for the first time at home this season, as the Doughboys split the weekend series.
Notables:
- Kenyon Hughes Jr. impressed in the leadoff spot, going 3-for-4 with his first home run and two total runs to his name.
- Holden Pantier continued his fast start to the summer, going 3-for-3 with a solo home run, three runs, and a walk.
- Eli Thurmond got the party started in the first with another triple, this time clearing the bases when they were loaded.
- The Doughboys' pitching staff bounced back in a big way, tallying nine strikeouts with only two walks.
Up Next:
After a league-wide off day on Monday, the Doughboys will take on Greenville for a three-game set. Games one and three of the series are at the Flyboys ballpark on Tuesday and Thursday, with a Wednesday, June 17th, nightcap at TVA Credit Union Ballpark at 7:00 p.m. EST.
Get your tickets today at https://www.appyleague.com/johnson-city/tickets and join us for an all-you-can-eat Wednesday! Keep up with all the Doughboys action on our Instagram, @jc_doughoys.
