Twins topple Blue Jays in Bluefield in Season Opener
Published 10:41 pm Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Staff Report
The Elizabethton Twins started out their 2015 season with a 9-5 win over the Blue Jays in Bluefield, WV on Tuesday.
Right fielder Austin Diemer led the way for the Twins, blasting two home runs and recording four RBIs, while going three of five from the plate.
The Blue Jays struck first with Yeltsin Gudino scoring off a fly ball to center field from Deiferson Barreto.
After going scoreless in the first, the Twins posted two in the second, with both Diemer and Tyler Kuresa blasting home runs to put Elizabethton up 2-1.
Both team went scoreless in the third. The Twins would make the next blow in the fourth with Diemer knocking another one out of the park, bringing in LaMonte Wade for a two-run homer.
The Blue Jays answered in the bottom of the fourth with a home run from Matt Morgan.
The game went through another scoring drought in the fifth.
The Twins posted three runs in the top of the sixth, with all three runs resulting from walks.
Tight fielding by the Twins held the Blue Jays at bay in the bottom of the sixth frame.
In the top of the seventh, the Twins posted their last two runs of the game. The first run came when Wade knocked a line-drive single to right field to bring home Rainis Silva. Diemer recorded his fourth RBI of the night, when he hit a line drive to right field to usher in Kuresa.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Blue Jays made a comeback run, scoring three runs in the seventh inning.
The last two innings were scoreless.
Twins’ pitcher Dereck Rodriguez was awarded the win. He opened up the game for the Twins and threw for five innings, during which he recorded four strikeouts against zero walks, while giving up ten hits and two runs. C.K. Irby relieved Rodriguez in the fifth and threw for one inning, during which he gave up three hits and two runs, while striking out two hitters and walking one.
Jose Abreu closed out the game for the Twins. He recorded one strikeout and one walk.
Blue Jays’ Nick Wells opened up the game for Bluefield. Throwing for five innings, Wells gave up six hits and three runs, while recording four strikeouts.
The Twins and Blue Jays will take to the field again today at 7 p.m. in Bluefield.