Cyclones run out of steam late in non-conference loss to Boone
Published 11:30 am Friday, April 5, 2024
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton catcher J.D. Hooks applies a tag on Boone's Jackson Utsman for an inning-ending double play on a perfect throw to the play by Bryson Rowland who recorded the first out of the double play on a fly-ball out.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cyclone baserunner Logan Campbell dives back safely to first base on a pickoff attempt by the Blazer pitcher.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders The Cyclones Bryson Rowland successfully breaks up a double-play attempt by second baseman Slader Tinker.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cyclone second baseman Steven Meadows drifts back into shallow left field to record an out on a pop fly.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cyclone head coach Ryan Presnell challenges a call with the umpires. Presnell points to where a Blazer batter was out of the batter's box.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Bryson Rowland takes a big turn at first on a hard-hit ball down the third base line. The ball landed just foul and Rowland had to return to the plate.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Boone second baseman Slader Tinker leaps high for the baseball as Cyclone baserunner Bryson Rowland slides in safely to second base.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Elizabethton baserunner Rhett Slagle plays cat and mouse with Boone shortstop Tim McGouigle.
Star Photo/Ivan Sanders Cyclone relief pitcher Brayden Buckles gets ready to deliver a heater to home plate.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
STAR CORRESPONDENT
After a contest against conference-rival Sullivan East on Wednesday where the Elizabethton Cyclones saw four pitchers throw over 200 pitches in a 13-12 walk-off victory in the bottom of the seventh, Coach Ryan Presnell knew his arms would be limited when the Cyclones hosted the Boone Blazers at Northeast Community Credit Union Ball Park on Thursday.
Holding their own through the first six innings of play, the Cyclones ran out of gas in the seventh as a six-run inning from the visitors carried the senior-laden Blazers to a 13-5 win.
The Cyclones actually managed to build a 2-0 lead early in the. game as in the first inning, a one-out single off the bat of second baseman Steven Meadows got things going in the right direction.
Shortstop Rhett Slagle worked a walk off starting pitcher Liam Strouth placing Cyclones at first and second base.
Meadows swiped third base and Slagle moved up a base as well and both runners came home on a two-out double from Cyclone catcher J.D. Hooks for a 2-0 EHS lead.
Boone got one of the runs back in the top of the fourth before Elizabethton gained the run back in the bottom of the frame.
Lead-off batter Justin Whitehead was pegged by a Strouth pitch and stole second base with Hooks at the plate. Hooks delivered once again for the Cyclones, hitting a ball toward second base for his second hit of the game, chasing Whitehead to third base.
A fielder’s choice off the bat of Logan Campbell scored Whitehead to make it 3-1 Cyclones.
With Boone coach Scott Hagy challenging his team as they came off the field to get things going with the game getting late, the Blazers responded in a big way in the top of the fifth inning.
With two hit batsmen and a walk loading the bases around a flyout, a single by shortstop Tim McGouigle brought two runners across the dish to even the game at 3-3.
An error, triple, and walk brought three more Blazers across the plate as Boone led for the first time in the game by innings end, 7-3.
Not ready to lie down, the Cyclones shave two runs off the lead in the bottom the inning with one out,
Bryson Rowland worked a walk from Strouth and proceeded to steal second base. Meadows followed by ripping a double off the left-field wall that just missed a homerun to score Rowland.
Rhett Slagle then stepped to the dish and delivered another scorching double to left field which scored Meadows making it a 7-5 game at the end of five complete.
Boone would go on to add one run in the top of the sixth and exploded for six more in the top of the seventh thanks in part to a three-run homer from Ben Stevens as the Blazers took the 13-5 victory.
Strouth took the win for Boone while Carson Atkinson was the loser after going four and one-third innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on two hits.
Brayden Buckles and Jeriah Griffin followed Atkinson out of the bullpen.
Hooks led the Cyclones at the plate, recording a 3 for 3 day and collecting a pair of RBIs. Meadows was 2 for 4 on the afternoon with an RBI.
Slagle and Rowland accounted for the other two hits for the Cyclones seven-hit day.
Boone had only six hits and drew eight base on balls from the Cyclone hurlers.
Elizabethton (5-10) returns to action on Saturday when they host Pikeville at Northeast Community Credit Union Ball Park for a 10 am contest.
