JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — There was double the action at TVA Credit Union Ballpark as the Johnson City Doughboys and Bristol Stateliners played a doubleheader to make up for Friday’s rainout.
The beginning of Game 1 was in the hands of the pitchers, as Joe LoPinto and Kade Foluke both held the State Liners scoreless through the first three innings.
Bristol’s starting pitcher Max Owens would match them with three scoreless innings of his own, striking out five batters.
The top of the fourth inning had the Doughboys firing on all cylinders, when Ryan Jones opened up the scoring with an RBI double, then followed by a bases-loaded line drive off the top of the wall by Camden Kaufman scoring three more before Bristol pitcher Aidan Savona would walk in a run making it 5-0.
Bristol’s catcher Hayden Blair responded in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to get the State Liners on the board.
It was all Johnson City from there as they scored eight more runs in the fifth as Kaufman and Jackson Reid each hit two RBI doubles, while returner Nate Conner brought in another run with a single. Followed by a Jose Fernandez three-run homer, by the end of the inning the Doughboys had a commanding 13-1 lead.
The State Liners would try to hold on, scoring four in the bottom of the sixth off walks.
Ultimately, it was not enough for the State Liners as the Doughboys won their first game of the year, 13-5, in Game 1 of the doubleheader.
Game 2 saw a shift in momentum to the State Liners early as starter Reid Brosnan gave up an early run on a Jaxon Walker grounder that plated Collin Dobson
Bristol scored three more runs in the second inning off Doughboys pitcher Charley Mau, two coming from ground balls with the bases loaded, then a RBI double by Chris Patterson.
In the third frame, Dobson roped one up the middle bringing in both Blair and Beau Revord.
The rest of the game would be scoreless as Ryan Smith, Nolan Medley and Ricky O’Dette combined to hold Bristol to no hits in the final three innings of defense.
Unfortunately for Johnson City, the bullpens were hot for both sides. After being held to two hits and no runs by starting pitcher Michael Fliss through three innings, Alex Sotiropoulos and Hunter Barber held it down for the State Liners in the final four innings to secure the 6-0 shutout victory for Bristol.
The Doughboys have Sunday off but will be right back at TVA Credit Union Ballpark Monday, June 10th for the first of a two-game series against the Burlington Sock Puppets. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
