Road Trip Goes Sour for Tri-State Coal Cats

 By Ben Anderson

    The road struggles continued for the Tri-State Coal Cats in their latest stretch as they dropped four of six games.  

    Tri-State started the week being swept by the Pulaski River Turtles in a series filled with late-game miscues, and cold offense.  

    Game one saw Pulaski strike early as the River Turtles hit two home runs in the second inning, the first long balls allowed by the Coal Cats this season.  Aiden Torrez had a solo shot, and JT Taylor had a two-run blast to put the River Turtles ahead 4-1. 

    The Coal Cats scratched back into the game in the fourth inning, scoring four runs. Tyler Smolinski’s RBI single scored Ryan Maggy, followed by Chandler Murray’s RBI to bring home Xavier Rivera. Jorge Gonzalez-Febo added a sacrifice fly to plate Smolinski, and Sal Mineo’s RBI single capped the rally, putting the Coal Cats ahead, 5-4. 

    However, the lead would quickly tumble. Pulaski scored five unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings, striking gold on relief pitcher Mason Sylvest, who allowed two hits and issued three walks in only one inning of work. 

    The Coal Cats scored one last run in the eighth inning, from Maggy’s solo home run. It would not be enough as the Coal Cats fell 9-6.  

    Pulaski outhit Tri-State 10-9, but the Coal Cat’s pitching staff allowed 10 walks, which on top on defensive miscues proved to be decisive.  

TRI-STATE                    010 400 010 – 6 9 2 

PULASKI                      130 014 00X – 9 10 2 

Ferris, Child (4) Sylvest (6) Jones (7); Toole (3), Bilderback (4), Knoll (5) Moss (8) Barna (9) 

Hitting: (TS) Solier 2-5, Maggy 2-4 2B HR, Smolinski 2-4, Murray 2-3; (P) Williams 2-5, Taylor HR 2 RBIs, Holt 2-4, Torrez HR 2 RBIs, Malpass 2B 2 RBIs.  

    In game two despite one of the strongest pitching performances, the Coal Cats lost its fifth straight game, falling to the River Turtles 3-2.  

    Tri-State's pitching allowed only eight hits, one walk, and struck out nine. Starter Jett Hope worked four innings, surrendering three runs, two of them earned, on four hits while striking out four. 

    The deciding inning for the River Turtles came in the third inning, starting with a two-run double by Taylor that brought home Sam Koerner and T.J. Williams. Taylor later scored on a groundout by Brayden Ricketts, giving Pulaski a lead it would maintain for the rest of the game. 

    The Coal Cat’s bullpen brought a solid performance with Jack Gibson, Joe Gomez, and Carlos Jazmin combining for five scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out five. 

    Tri-State’s offense got off to a fast start when Bishop Quarles led off the first inning with his first home run of the season, a solo shot that briefly put the Coal Cats ahead. In the sixth, Christian Recendez made an impact with his first Appalachian League hit, a soft blooper that brought home Luke Kosko, cutting the deficit to 3-2. 

    Pulaski’s pitching staff held Tri-State to just six hits, three walks and struck out eight on the night. Reliever Eli Baker picked up the win after one inning of relief, allowing one run on three hits. 

TRI-STATE 100 010 000 – 2 6 1 

PULASKI 003 000 00X – 3 8 0 

Hope, Gibson (4), Gomez (6), Jazmin (8); Nguyen-Brown, Baker (5), Brown (6), Waldschmidt (7) Pankey (9) 

Hitting: (TS) Kosko 1-3, Quarles 1-3 HR, Rodriguez 1-4, Smolinski 1-3; (P) Taylor 2-3 2B, 2 RBIs, Ricketts 2-4 2B RBI, Koerner 1-3. 

After losing five in a row, the Coal Cats shifted their focus to the Burlington Sock Puppets and ended their drought by sweeping the two-game series. 

    In game one, the Coal Cats found the sweet spot on offense, striking up an 8-0 entering the bottom of the sixth.  

    The offense struck in all but three innings, highlighted by Mineo’s perfect 5-for-5 performance at the plate, including two doubles, three singles and a walk. 

    

    The Coal Cats earned their first run across thanks to a bases-loaded walk to Smolinski. Rivera added a sacrifice fly in the second, plating Recendez. In the third, Michael Rodriguez doubled to score Murray, and Jackson Golden grounded out to bring Rodriguez home, making it 4-0. 

    Tri-State added two more runs in the fifth on Jorge Gonzalez-Febo’s RBI single and a double play that allowed Smolinski to score. Mineo later crossed the plate on a throwing error, extending the lead to 7-0.

    Tucker DeLisle and Cesar Gonzalez combined for seven strong innings on the mound, allowing just two runs on seven hits while striking out eight. Gonzalez surrendered Burlington’s first run in the sixth on Bromley Thornton’s RBI single, but Tri-State responded in the top of the seventh with Golden’s sacrifice fly to score Smolinski. 

    Burlington began a late game rally, scoring three runs in the seventh and eighth innings, to cut the deficit to 9-4 entering the bottom of the ninth.

    The pressure increased as Thornton singled to score D.J. Merriweather, cutting the lead to 9-5. Then, with two outs, Burlington’s Brian Carrothers launched a three-run homer off Branson McCloud, pulling the Sock Puppets within a run. McCloud, however, recovered to secure the final out and the 9-8 win.  

TRI-STATE 112 022 100 – 9 10 1  

BURLINGTON 000 001 124 – 8 11 1 

DeLisle, Gonzalez (5), Sylvest (8), McCloud (9); Olson, Griffin (3), Feehery (5), Shafer (6) Massey (8).

Hitting: (TS) Mineo 5-5, 2B, Golden 2 RBIs, Rodriguez 2B, Smolinski 2B, Quarles 3 SB; (B) Merryweather 2-3 2B, Thorton 2-3 2 RBIs, Carrothers 3-4 HR 3 RBIs, Jennings 2B. 

    For the second game in a row, the Coal Cats were able to take command with early offense in the 13-8 victory in game two.  

    The Coal Cats scored in five of the first six innings. A four-run first inning, followed by another four-run third inning, a solo home run by Murray in the fourth, and two more runs in the fifth. By the end of the sixth inning, Tri-State led 12-0. 

    The offensive showcase was highlighted by Mineo, Maggy, and Julio Soler. Mineo continued his hot streak at the plate with a triple, two RBIs and a run scored. Maggy added a solo homer in the eighth — his second of the season — and Soler delivered in key moments, including a steal of home in the third.

    Similar to game one, Burlington did not go down without a fight. The Sock Puppets unleashed their late-game hitting heroics, with a seven-run seventh inning.  

    Tri-State responded in the eighth with Maggy’s solo homer, providing insurance to the Coal Cats’ lead. In the ninth, Burlington loaded the bases with one out, threatening another comeback. A double play plated one run, but the Coal Cats escaped further damage to seal the victory. 

    Starter Bryant Yoak set the tone for Tri-State on the mound, delivering two scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. Casey Proctor earned the win with three shutout frames 

TRI-STATE 404 121 010 – 13 12 3 

BURLINGTON 000 000 701 – 8 10 2 

Yoak, Proctor (3), LaFine (6), Jones (7), Jazmin (9); Osier, Jones (3), Noriega (6), Hedrick (8) 

Hitting: (TS) Murray 3-4 2 RBI HR, Smolinski 2-4 2B RBI, Solier 2-5 2 RBI, Maggy 1-4 2B HR 2 RBI, Kosko 1-5 2 RBI, Mineo 2-5 2 RBI; (B) Shelley 2-3 RBI, Carrothers 3-5 RBI, Vela 1-5 2B 2 RBIs, Fernandez 1-4 2B, Yaucher 1-3 HR 2 RBIs. 

    The Coal Cats closed the road stretch, suffering a two-game sweep against the Danville Otterbots.

    Game one was the battle of teams of completely opposite trends. Tri-State was the winners of back-to-back games, while Danville entered on a four-game losing streak. 

    The Otterbots entered the game with the league’s lowest team batting average (.209) and ERA (8.15) and collected eight hits in the contest. 

    The Coal Cats continued their spiky trend of giving up leads, as they have led in six of their nine losses. 

    Danville fired away first, scoring on an RBI single from Seth Smith in the first inning.  

    Tri-State took the lead in the third inning with a three-run surge. Maggy singled to drive in Recendez, followed by a Rodriguez single that plated Maggy. Murray then capitalized on a pickoff attempt, dashing home to extend the lead to 3-1. 

    The Otterbots responded in the fifth inning. Christian Hamilton’s RBI single tied the game and Jaxon Goldberg’s RBI double gave the Otterbots a 4-3 advantage. 

    Kenyon Collins took the loss for Tri-State, pitching five innings while allowing four earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts. Gomez shined in relief, surrendering just one hit and recording three strikeouts over three scoreless frames. 

    Danville’s pitching staff delivered one of its best outings of the season. Starter Aaron Lewis pitched three innings, allowing five hits, three runs, one walk, and striking out three. Matthew Spada followed with three shutout innings, giving up one hit and striking out three. Brandon Jung added two scoreless frames with four strikeouts and Peyton Huff closed with a hitless ninth, striking out three and walking one. 

TRI-STATE 003 000 000 – 3 7 2 

DANVILLE 100 030 00X – 4 8 2  

Collins, Gomez (6); Lewis, Spada (4), Jung (7) Huff (9) 

Hitting (TS) Murray 2-2 2B; (D) Goldberg 2-4 2 2B 2 RBIs, Smith 2-4 

    The Coal Cats finished the road stretch dropping their fourth game in six days.  

    Danville carried its hitting momentum from the day prior tallying eight hits. Charlie Carter led the way with five RBIs, including a grand slam as the Otterbots took a 7-0 lead after the first three innings.  

    Tri-State struggled to get the bats going, managing just four hits. Sam Winsett provided a spark in the fifth with a two-run homer, and the Cats added two runs in the seventh. 

    Danville starter Andrew Evans set the tone, allowing two runs over five innings while striking out five. Brooks Chamberlain made a strong season debut with a scoreless inning of relief, and then Tyler Davis closed the door late. 

    Tri-State’s starter Kenneth Jackson had a tough outing, lasting just over two innings and surrendering seven earned runs on five hits and four walks. Mason Child steadied the game with 2 2/3 innings of one-run ball.  

TRI-STATE 000 020 2 – 4 4 1 

DANVILLE 034 010 X – 8 8 0 

Jackson, Child (3) Oliver (6); Evans, Chamberlain (6), Davis (7) 

Hitting: (TS) Winsett 2-2 HR 2 RBI; (D) Shull 2-2 2B, Carter 2-2 HR 5 RBIs.  

    Tri-State sits fourth in the Appalachian East Division standings with a 6-9 record, and suffering losses in seven of its last nine games. The Coal Cats return to Jack Cook Field this week with a two-game series against the Elizabethton River Riders and a four-game series against the Danville Otterbots.