HUNTINGTON, W. Va. — The Tri-State Coal Cats (4-2) rallied from an early seven-run deficit to secure their second home win of the season, defeating the Johnson City Doughboys (2-4) on Wednesday night at Jack Cook Field, 11-9. The victory was powered by a resilient offensive effort and stellar work from the bullpen, which held the Doughboys scoreless over the final six innings.
Johnson City struck first in the second inning, loading the bases and plating three runs. Ryan Jones singled to drive in Jose Fernandez, Jackson Reid’s groundout brought home Trey Majette and Logan Dunn added a sacrifice fly to score Camden Kaufman.
Tri-State responded in the bottom half of the inning with Jackson Golden’s RBI groundout scoring Jorge Gonzalez-Febo, followed by Luke Kosko’s single and a wild pitch that allowed him to score. However, the Doughboys seemed poised to run away with the game after a six-run third inning, capped by Logan Fyffe’s bases-clearing double to extend the lead to 9-2.
The Coal Cats clawed back with a five-run bottom of the third, highlighted by Golden’s three-run double and Bishop Quarles’ RBI single, narrowing the deficit to 9-7.
Cesar Gonzalez, typically a catcher, emerged as an unlikely pitching hero. Entering in the fifth inning, Gonzalez delivered three scoreless frames, allowing just three hits while striking out two and walking one. His effort earned him the win and praise from manager Tommy Gregg.
“It’s funny, 'cause [Gonzalez] said he could pitch, and normally when you have a position player that says he can pitch, you’re like, 'Okay,'” Gregg said. “He did a great job. That really sealed it for us.”
Tri-State took its first lead in the fifth inning with a four-run surge. Kosko’s RBI single drove in Tyler Smolinski, Quarles’ two-run double brought home Kosko and Golden, and Julio Solier’s RBI groundout plated Quarles, completing the comeback for an 11-9 advantage.
Quarles stepped into the leadoff spot in place of Sal Mineo, who was away on a college visit, and shined once again. Building on his strong debut from the night before, Quarles recorded two doubles, drove in three runs and drew two walks. Asked about Quarles’ role moving forward, Gregg said, “Sal’s our leadoff guy, but [Quarles] will be at the top of the lineup.”
The bullpen delivered in the late innings to secure the win, with Aiden Sites earning the hold after a flawless eighth and Branson McCloud, a fellow Marshall product, shutting the door in the ninth for the save. McCloud drew support from several of his college teammates in attendance, adding a celebratory touch to Tri-State's triumphant night.
The Coal Cats return to action Thursday at Jack Cook Field for Game 2 against Johnson City. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m., with the first 300 fans receiving a Scratch the Cat bobblehead. For more information about the Tri-State Coal Cats, visit appyleague.com/tri-state or follow @TriStCoalCats on X and Instagram.
