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By: Andrew Smith

TUSCULUM–The Elizabethton River Riders (16-17) defeated the Greeneville Flyboys (16-19) on Tuesday night by a final score of 6-3. Center fielder Brendan Jones went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

The win marked back-to-back wins for the River Riders over Greeneville, and it was the first time this year that either club got a sweep over the other. The sweep allowed E-Town to move into sole possession of second place in the Appalachian League West division.

Greeneville struck first in the bottom of the third inning. After a leadoff double from second baseman Will Brown, right fielder Andrew Pinkston hit a single to score Brown. It was 1-0 Flyboys a third of the way through the game.

The River Riders took the lead in the top of the fourth. After two walks in the frame and a flyout, Elizabethton got three straight run-scoring singles from designated hitter Reagan Guthrie, second baseman Peyton Basler, and Jones making the game 3-1.

The Flyboys got one run back in their half of the fourth. The inning began with a single by third baseman Jack O’Reilly, who scored on a double from first baseman Aidan Cannaday to cut the River Rider lead to 3-2.

Elizabethton extended the lead back to two in the top of the fifth. With one out in the inning, first baseman Brennan Orf tripled. He then came home on a double by third baseman Brody Green to make the game 4-2 at the game’s halfway point.

The River Riders tacked on one more in the top of the sixth inning, when right fielder Avery Owusu-Aseidu tripled to right field. He scored later in the frame on a wild pitch to make the game 5-2.

Greeneville got one in the bottom half of the sixth. O’Reilly led off the inning with a home run to left field, his second homer on the season. Even though the Flyboys got a runner to second with one out, they would not score again in the frame, as it was now 5-3 River Riders.

E-Town got an insurance run in the top of the eighth. After a leadoff walk by Jones, the Riders were in danger of stranding him after a flyout and a groundout. However, left fielder Issac Williams hit a single to right field to extend the lead to 6-3, where it would stay for the rest of the night.

The River Riders will begin a five-game homestand on Wednesday night, as they will host the first-place Kingsport Axmen. First pitch from Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark is set for 7 p.m. The Flyboys will travel to Johnson City to take on the Doughboys on Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.

 

Final                      R        H      E      LOB

River Riders         6         11      2       9

Flyboys                  3        10      1        8

 

W: Sean Hollister (1-0)

L: Finnegan Wall (0-2)

S: Zach Thornton (1)