Riders run win streak to three, topple Whistlepigs

Published 11:15 am Wednesday, June 21, 2023

By Allen LaMountain

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Winners of three straight games and four of the last five ,the Elizabethton River Riders ran their record to 8-5 with a 10-2 victory over Princeton on Tuesday night at Northeast Community Credit Union ballpark.
Designated hitter D.J. Dillehay went two-for-four with a double and a three run first inning home run that staked the River Riders to a 4-0 first inning advantage.
“It was second pitch of the at bat,” Dillehay said. “The dude threw me a slider and I just took it the other way. It felt good to catch a break and hit one out of here.”
Trey Fenderson opened the first with a double and came around on a single from Peyton Basler for a 1-0 lead. Brendan Jones walked and after a ground out from catcher Carter Jagiela, Dillehay got his big fly ball.
Princeton (5-8) closed to 4-2 with single runs in the second and third innings before the Riders added three more runs in the last of the third frame. In the stanza Dillehay opened with a double to centerfield and with one out Hunter Porter reached on an infield error that plated Dillehay.
Hayden Moore singled in a run and Ethan Sitzman’s RBI hit made it a 7-2 contest and the Riders were not challenged from there as dominant relief pitching took over. Starter Sean Hollister pitched two and one third innings giving up two runs on three hits before giving way to Kai Leckszas.
In the fourth inning Leckszas threw an immaculate inning meaning that he struck out the side on nine pitches – all strikes. Leckszas pitched three and one third innings on shutout ball giving up one hit while striking out six.
“I just went out there feeling confident,” Leckszas said. “I didn’t think they could hit anything I threw so I just attacked every hitter I saw. I guess we love playing here and it’s fun just to be able to come out for these fans and produce.”
In the fifth Sitzman had an RBI hit to plate Moore who walked and stole second and in the eighth added two more when Sitzman was plunked and Fenderson walked. A single from Jones scored one run and a sacrifice fly from Jagiela plated the last run of the night.
Gabriel Barrett, Kerry Herndon-Brown and Will Ballinger each pitched one shutout inning to close out the win. Herndon-Brown came one pitch from an immaculate inning and was dominant.
“We are energetic,” River Riders manager Jeremy Owens said. “We have an energy about us and these young men are talented. We have a lot of guys that I think have potential to play at the next level and our job as coaches is not to get in their way. It’s a joy to have this kind of talent and I haven’t had to teach a day yet.”
River Riders 10-2
Princeton 011 000 000 – 2 6 3
River Riders 403 010 02x – 10 10 0
W – Leckszas L – Trehey
HR – Dillehay (1), Mayberry (1)

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