JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - The Johnson City Doughboys earned a commanding win over the Danville Otterbots in a 14-4 victory on Thursday.
Johnson City got out to an early lead after Trey Majette lifted a RBI sacrifice flyout to right field, scoring Nate Conner from third. Camden Kaufman followed it up just a batter later, as his line drive single landed in left field and saw Paris Pridgen score after being walked. Jackson Jones capped off the first inning with his second homer of the season, a three-run blast over the left field wall, scoring Kaufman and Brandon Chang, to put the Doughboys up 5-0 early.
The scoring continued in the third for Johnson City. Jones followed his home run with a double into deep right field, scoring Pridgen for a second time. A wild pitch on the next batter allowed Kaufman to reach home safely from third to extend the Doughboys' lead, 7-0.
Gavin Brewer got Danville on the board in the top of the fourth, sending his first home run of the season, scoring both Garrett Shull and Antonio Cordeiro to make the score 7-3.
The Doughboys answered right back with three runs of their own in the home half of the same inning. Starting with Logan Fyffe scrambling home on a groundout by Chang, Kaufman was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded shortly after allowing Conner to come across home. Before yet another wild pitch found the backstop and saw Pridgen score his third run of the ballgame.
In the fifth, Conner broke up a double play ground ball with the bases loaded, scoring Lleyton Daily from third, who had reached base on a walk. Pridgen added on with a groundball that squeezed its way into right field and scored Landon Smelser. Majette then followed it up with his second RBI of the game, a grounder to second which he beat out as Conner crossed home. In the same inning, a balk from Otterbots' pitcher gave a free trip to the plate for Pridgen as he came home.
In the top of the sixth, the Otterbots were not going down without a fight. Cordeiro, as the leadoff hitter, smashed a solo home run into center field to bring the Otterbots back within 10, the score now at 14-4.
Johnson City held its lead at 10 through the final six outs and ended the game early in seven innings with a 14-4 victory over Danville.
The Doughboys will host the Otterbots on Friday for the second game of the series with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m.
