Wolfgramm’s big night propels Riders win

Published 10:34 am Monday, July 28, 2025

Star Correspondent

Catcher Tua Wolfgramm hit his fifth home run of the season and added a triple, driving in three runs as the Elizabethton River Riders took a 4-3 win over Johnson City on Friday night at Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark.

“I was looking fastball and he gave it to me,” Wolfgramm said of his homer. “He gave me what I wanted and I wasn’t going to miss it. I had to capitalize on the opportunity.”

Wolfgramm drove in a pair of runs in the second inning with Cadyn Karl and Eli Evans on base with walks, and Wolfgramm drove a shot to right field that went for a triple against Doughboys starter Major Osbolt and tied the score at 2-2.

JC scored single runs in the first and second frames, with Dane Morrow hitting a solo home run in the first inning — his second of the season — and Caleb Gipson adding an RBI double in the second stanza.

Joshua Evans (1-1) got the start for Betsy (20-23), and he pitched well after the first two innings. Evans went 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits. He struck out five and walked none. Colton Williams came on and finished the sixth inning scoreless before giving way to Cole Torbett in the seventh.

“We didn’t walk anybody, and I talked with Evans before the game tonight, and I told him that if we hadn’t walked anyone in the game last night, it would have been a one-run game. When you impact the strike zone and you are keeping the defense involved, you stay in sync and you play better.”

Osbolt (2-1) pitched 5.2 innings, giving up four runs on five hits. He struck out eight and issued one walk. The Riders took the lead in the fifth on Wolfgramm’s solo home run, which gave Elizabethton a 3-2 lead.

In the last of the sixth, Evans followed a double from Ethan Ball with an RBI single to chase Osbolt and stake the Riders to a 4-2 advantage. In the top of the eighth, Charlie Spoonhour came into the contest and gave up a leadoff single to Brandon Chang. Two outs later, Gipson drove in his second run of the game with a double to center field to cut the lead to 4-3.

River Riders 4, Johnson City 3
Johnson City 110 000 010 — 3 10 0
River Riders 020 011 00x — 4 5 2

W — Evans (1-1). L — Osbolt (2-1).
HR — Wolfgramm (5), Morrow (2).