Tri-State drops third straight to Danville in 3-0 loss

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HUNTINGTON, W. Va. — To the Coal Cats fans attending Jack Cook Field, Tri-State’s 3-0 loss to the Danville Otterbots may have felt like a rerun of its home series opener. Just as it did on Wednesday, Tri-State outhit Danville, yet effective outings on the mound and its ability to get on base were not enough to lift the home side to victory.

After a scoreless first, Danville got on the board during its next appearance in the box. Loading the bases with three consecutive walks, Danville took advantage of its opportunity as a sacrifice fly by Antonio Cordeiro brought home a run.

In the third, Danville followed up with another hot start to its half at the plate. This time, a leadoff single by Addison Smith and a walk issued to Michael Callan Moss paved the way for another sacrifice fly to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Despite the two earned runs, Kenyon Collins settled in by allowing just one hit against a formidable Otterbots lineup. Through five full innings, the adjustments Collins made during his start gained the attention of manager Tommy Gregg.

“He struggled but he had some damage control, giving up one run with the bases loaded,” Gregg said. “He found it a couple innings after that and got his control back. It’s funny how you can just lose it real quick, mechanics kind of went out of whack and then he got it back. He’s a smart kid, he can make adjustments, it took a couple innings, but I love our pitchers keeping us in games.”

Past the fifth, Ben Roberts and Drew DelCollo combined for another impressive performance by the Tri-State bullpen. Roberts picked up where Collins left off during his two innings on the mound, allowing just one walk while punching out four in a hitless appearance.

“Ben Roberts pitched great. That’s the best he’s probably felt after his outing, he felt great, he’s got his mechanics back, he’s controlling the zone,” Gregg said.

DelCollo followed with a 1-2-3 eighth inning, the second consecutive thrown by Coal Cats pitching, but the Otterbots did not exit the box without adding to their lead. Following a walk and single, Moss sliced a single to right field that gave his team a 3-0 lead.

In the batter’s box, Tri-State’s once again found itself with more hits yet less to show for it. With four hits to Danville’s three, Tri-State once again outhit one of the league’s most powerful batting orders. However, 12 runners left on base and an 0-for-6 night with runners in scoring position kept the Cats scoreless. Despite a ninth-inning walk by Jorge Gonzalez-Febo, it was not enough for a rally as the Cats fell, 3-0, to the Otterbots.

During Saturday’s 7 p.m. matchup, Tri-State plays its home finale against the Danville Otterbots with hopes of leaving the fans at Jack Cook Field with a victory before concluding the season in Pulaski. Now on a three-game skid, Tri-State dropped to a record of 19-25. Meanwhile, Danville earned its fifth consecutive win and improved its record to 29-15 overall.

For more information about the Tri-State Coal Cats, visit coalcats.com and follow @TriStCoalCats on Twitter and Instagram.