River Riders fall to Coal Cats in opener 9-2
Published 2:16 pm Friday, July 12, 2024
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent River Riders pitcher Spenser Atkins picks up a strikeout in third-inning action.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent River Riders first baseman Colin Sloan looks to keep the Coal Cats runner close.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent River Riders catcher Kade Huff pushes the ball back into the strike zone.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Leaandro Perez fights off an inside pitch.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Brady Picarelli puts the barrel on the ball, smacking a line drive to center.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Colin Sloan takes one off the hip in second-inning play.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent River Riders shortstop Kevin Hall pulls in the grounder to start a double play.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent Third baseman Carlos Irizarry hops into his ready position.
Ron Marvel/Star Correspondent River Riders mascot "Rookie" is on hand to greet young fans.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
Nursing a 2-1 advantage, the River Riders saw the Tri-State Coal Cats erupt for six runs in a pivotal fifth inning that provided the difference in Thursday night’s contest.
The River Riders jumped out to an early second-inning lead as Hevin Hall Jr. hit a double off the left-center wall, plating Brady Picarelli and Colin Sloan to go up 2-0. The Coal Cats got a run back in the top of the fourth as Trent Adelman hit a line drive to right, plating Jack Smith. They then tied things at 2-all when Cooper McKenzie roped a double to right. After that double, the floodgates opened for the Coal Cats as Spencer Barnett and Chance Chaplin got back-to-back singles and took advantage of a River Riders throwing error to push the score to 5-2. With two outs in the inning, Ryan Limerick tacked on two more runs with a double to left, making it 7-2 after five innings.
The Coal Cats added insurance runs in the sixth and seventh off a Cooper McKenzie single and a Trent Adelman sac fly. McKenzie finished the night going 3-for-5 with a couple of RBIs. Barnett and Chaplin both chipped in with two base hits.
For the River Riders, Hall finished 2-for-3, moving his batting average to .316. The River Riders were outhit in the game 12-5. Spencer Atkins was tagged with the loss; the University of Akron product went 4 1/3 innings and surrendered four earned runs off nine hits. Gus Rogers and Myles Green pitched well in relief for Elizabethton, going 2.0 innings and giving up no runs. Kenyon Collins got the win for the Coal Cats, throwing 5.0 innings and giving up two earned runs off just three hits while striking out five.
The River Riders (12-19) will look to knot the series at Northeast Community Credit Union on Friday night with a first pitch at 7 p.m.
