JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The Johnson City Doughboys put up 10 runs spread out through five different innings, and 12 total hits to win Game 1 of the series against the Burlington Sock Puppets, 10-8, on Friday night.
The Doughboys showcased their potent offense with two early runs in the first. Walter Urbon, who made his summer debut, drilled a single for his first hit, followed by Holden Pantier’s eighth double of the season.
Then, Jackson Geiger walked to load the bases. Eli Thurmond put the ball in play, forcing an E6 to score two to make it 2-0 early in the ball game.
The Sock Puppets responded with two runs of their own in the top of the second, with two back-to-back solo shots from Brandon Novy and Jack Beck. But Johnson City reclaimed the momentum the very next inning.
Kenyon Hughes Jr., who has been on fire at the plate, drilled a triple and showed off the jets for his first of the season. Gunner Skelton then drove him in with an RBI single, giving the Doughboys a 3-2 lead.
Back-and-forth they went at TVA Credit Union Ballpark, with Burlington showing some potent bats of its own in the third. Bryce Clavon led off things with a single, and after two stolen bases and a Bruce Wyche walk, Deacon Pomery drove him in with an RBI single.
Skelton turned a double play right after, but a run scored, giving the Sock Puppets a 5-4 lead going into the bottom of the third. Doughboys’ catcher Geiger responded with a solo-homer of his own, a no-doubter to right field to tie it up.
Three more hits in the inning by Eli Thurmond, Jack Jones and Hughes Jr., once again, with a Gabe Tanous walk in between, gave the Doughboys a four-run inning to take a lead of their own.
Burlington stole one of its own in the fourth, but scoreless appearances out of the bullpen from Eli Bridenthal, Eli Miller and Lincoln Causero kept shutting the door on the Sock Puppets’ offense.
The Doughboys put up three more runs over the next two innings, but stranded the bases loaded in both the fourth and fifth. Four walks did the job in the fourth inning, after a Pantier leadoff single, and Johnson City was able to score two runs and extend their lead.
Then Urban stepped up to the plate for the fourth time and drilled a leadoff solo-bomb 351 feet to the opposite field to get going in his first game of the summer. This extended Johnson City's lead to 10-6.
The Sock Puppets made it close at the end with two runs on three hits in the top of the ninth. But, after some trouble, JR Fordham showed off the ice in his veins and struck out two Burlington batters to bounce back in the win column.
The Doughboys moved to a .500 record with the victory. The offense scored in the first five innings, and the pitching backed it up, stranding seven Sock Puppet runners.
Notables:
● Walter Urban showed up in a big way during his summer debut, mashing a home run and finishing with a 2-for-5 line with two runs.
● Kenyon Hughes Jr. continued his blazing streak at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBI.
● Eight out of nine doughboys recorded a hit, with four having multi-hit games.
● Eli Bridenthal, Eli Miller and Lincoln Causero combined for seven total strikeouts on two hits and no runs allowed.
Up Next:
Game 2 of the series looms for both sides at TVA Credit Union Ballpark on Saturday at 7 p.m. Johnson City currently sits tied atop the Appalachian League West with the Greeneville Flyboys.
Get your tickets today at https://www.appyleague.com/johnson-city/tickets and join us for a Rocky the Bat Dog Bobblehead Giveaway! Keep up with all the Doughboys action on our Instagram, @jc_doughoys.
