River Riders can’t capitalize on promising start fall to Doughboys
Published 8:58 pm Wednesday, July 19, 2023
1 of 5
Star Photo/Ron Marvel River Riders shortstop Peyton Basler prep steps before the pitch.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel River Riders first basemen Hunter Portman provides a target for the pickoff attempt at first.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel River Riders catcher Angel Lobo provides a wall behind the plate.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Jaxson Pease fires home the pitch in fifth inning action.
Star Photo/Ron Marvel Austen Jaslove comes out of the box and hit a ball to the middle infield.
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Ron Marvel
Star Correspondent
The night couldn’t have gotten off better for the River Riders but they weren’t capable of getting out of the fifth inning and then an error bit them at the worst time, allowing the Doughboys to escape with a two-run win and pad their large lead in the Appalachian League standings.
The River Riders would get things going in the top of the first as Austen Jaslove would smack a double to left field to plate Brendan Jones and Caleb Berry for a 2-0 lead. The Doughboys would answer in their half of the inning with a bullet off the bat of Braden Spano to bring home Skylar King and Cameron King to knot the game at 2-0. Elizabethton would try to take charge in the top of the third scoring three runs for a 5-2 lead. The damage would come in the form of a Skylar King single and Hunter Porter double off the wall in center to plate two runs. The River Riders would bring home one more off a fielder’s choice to make it 6-2.
But it wouldn’t take long for the Johnson City squad to answer the bell, the bottom of the fifth would start off with an Andrew Neil single and a Cody Miller walk; then with two outs Cameron King would single to right plating Neil and Miller who had advanced on a force out. Then Doughboy Logan Sutter would hit an absolute bomb to deep left to knot the game once again, this time at six all.
The key play of the game would come in the bottom of the sixth as the Doughboys would get Cody Miller on with a double and Cameron King on with a walk. With two outs Cameron King would ground out and the River Riders appeared to have an escape route out of the damage, but back-to-back throwing errors would lead to two Doughboys runners scampering home and the Doughboys taking the lead 8-6. The River Riders would have a few opportunities in the final innings but just could not come up with a base hit when they needed it.
Skylar King would finish the night with two base hits and two RB I’s for the River Riders while left fielder Backus would also finish with a couple of base hits while Sutter would finish with three RBIs off a base hit. Andrew Jergins would take the loss giving up two runs in 1.0 innings pitched. The River Riders will finish up the two-game set with the Doughboys on the road with a 7 pm first pitch time.
