Coal Cats have up and down week in latest road stretch

 By Ben Anderson

    With just a few weeks remaining in the season, the Tri-State Coal Cats found themselves in a roller coaster of a week in their latest road stretch. 

    

    Tri-State started the week by sweeping the Bristol State Liners. In the series overall, the Coal Cats dominated by scoring 26 runs across 24 innings. 

    

    Game one saw the most offense out of the Coal Cats in the two-game series by defeating the State Liners 17-4. After being tied 3-3 after three innings, Tri-State erupted on offense with four runs in the fourth inning and eight runs in the fifth inning to pull away with the run-rule victory after seven innings. Sal Mineo, Bishop Quarles and Chandler Murray each drove in three runs, while Mineo and Ryan Maggy both homered.

    Starter Jack Gibson, after giving up 10 hits in four innings, limited the State Liners to just four runs. Brynden Rodriguez earned his first win of the season with a clean fifth and Evan Jones sealed the win with two no-hit innings and three strikeouts.

TRI-STATE 111 482 0XX  – 17 16 2

BRISTOL 120 100 0XX – 4 11 3

Gibson, Rodriguez (5), Jones (6), Jazmin (7), and Gonzalez; Sotiropoulos, Romango (4), Savona (5) Almonte (6), and Wright

Hitting: (TS) Mineo 4-5 5 R, 3 RBI HR, Quarles 3-5 2B 3BI, Kosko 2-3 3 R RBI 2B; (B) Dobson 2-3 2 R, Gillen 2-4 2 RBI, Patterson 2-3 2 RBI

    The Coal Cats kept the train rolling in game two, starting with a leadoff home run by Quarles. Tri-State jumped to a 5-0 lead and added two insurance runs in the ninth to secure a 7-2 win. Michael Rodriguez’s first homer of the year highlighted the late scoring.

    Tri-State showed off its strength at the plate from the night before tallying 10 hits and drawing 10 walks. Tucker DeLisle tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Jeff Hope picked up the win with 2 1/3 innings of one-hit baseball. 

TRI-STATE 110 100 202 – 7 10 2

BRISTOL 000 000 200 – 2 6 2

DeLisle, Hope (4), Sites (7), Duran (9), and Rivera; Fliss, Bienvenu (6), Revord (8), Hamilton (9), and Gray

Hitting: (TS) Quarles 3-5 2B HR, Rodriguez 2-4 HR; (B) Walker 3-5 2B, Gillen 2-3 2 RBI

    Following the two-game sweep against Bristol, Tri-State traveled to Pulaski to take on the River Turtles. Game one would see the Coal Cats extend their longest winning streak of the season to three games with a 19-10 victory. 

    The Coal Cats erupted for 19 runs and scored in seven of the nine innings, with exception to the seventh and ninth innings. Cesar Gonzalez led the offensive barrage, going 4-for-6 with three RBIs and serving as a steady presence in the latter half of the order. Quarles and Jackson Golden also drove in three runs apiece, and Ryan Maggy belted his fifth home run of the year, a two-run shot in the fourth.

    Tri-State took a 1-0 lead in the first before Pulaski responded with two in the bottom half. But the Cats answered with four in the second and never trailed again. A five-run sixth and a four-run eighth sealed the victory, as Tri-State turned timely hits into consistent production throughout the night.

    Starter Reynaldo Castro lasted just 1 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks. But the Coal Cats' bullpen was busy and effective enough to seal the deal. Noah LaFine earned the win in relief with 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Joe Gomez closed things out with a three-inning save, his second of the year, walking five but not allowing a hit or run.

    Pulaski starter Hayes Allen suffered his first loss of the season, giving up five runs over two innings. The River Turtles’ bullpen was tagged for 14 more runs and 15 hits as Tri-State’s bats continued to pile on.

TRI-STATE 141 315 040 – 19 19 2

PULASKI 210 034 000 – 10 9 2

Castro, LaFine (2), Isaacs (4), McIntosh (5), Sylvest (6), Gomez (7), and Golden; Allen, Segrest (3), Rubio (5), Waldschmidt (6), Bilderback (6), Ricketts (9)

Hitting: (TS) Rodriguez 3-4 3 RBI, Gonzalez 4-6 3 RBI, Murray 3-6 2B RBI, Quarles 2-5 3 RBI, Mineo 2-4 2B 3B, Maggy 2-5 HR; (P) Buckner 3-4 2B RBI, Bryant 2-5 3 RBI HR, Wisdom 1-3 2B

    Game two saw the beginning of the downward spiral of the rollercoaster for the Coal Cats, as they allowed three runs in the ninth inning to fall 15-14.

    Despite another high scoring night, the Coal Cats were outhit 17-10 and committed four errors in the field, contributing to Pulaski’s late rally. Tri-State had built a 14-11 lead with a seven-run eighth inning, but the River Turtles responded with four in the ninth, capped by a walk-off single from Aiden Malpass.

    The Coal Cats have now scored 10 or more runs in three of their last four games, showing signs of life offensively, even as defensive miscues continue to haunt them.

TRI-STATE 000 322 070 – 14 10 4

PULASKI 000 250 404 – 15 17 3

Yoak, Rodriguez (5), Duran (5), Jazmin (7), Gonzalez (9), and Rivera; Knoll, Moss (4), Jones (7), Wagenknecht (8)

Hitting: (TS) Rivera 2-5, Solier 1-4 2B; (P) Ricketts 4-6 2 RBI, Buckner 2-6 RBI, Bryant 1-5 2B

    The Coal Cats then traveled to Johnson City and suffered a two-game sweep against the Doughboys.

    Game one ended in heartbreak, as the Coal Cats came back from a six-run deficit to force the extra-inning sudden-death only to lose. 

    Quarles launched two home runs finishing 2-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored and a hit-by-pitch. Julio Soler added a double, walked once, scored twice, and stole three bases.

    Tri-State scored two in the fifth, one in the sixth, one in the seventh and three in the ninth, highlighted by a pair of clutch home runs, to tie the game at 8-8. But they were unable to capitalize in the tiebreaker inning, which does not count toward official league standings.

TRI-STATE 010 021 103 – 8 8 2

JOHNSON CITY 021 401 000 – 8 10 3

Collins, Sites (6), Sylvest (8), Jones (9), and Golden; Brosnan, Davis (5), Howell (7), Neville (8), Foulke (9), and Fernandez

Hitting: (TS) Quarles 2-4 3 RBI, Murray 2-5 RBI 2B; (JC) Hurt 2-4 RBI, Morrow 1-4 2B 2 RBI

    The Coal Cats dropped their third straight contest in game two of the series falling 10-0 while managing just four hits.

    Johnson City struck early and often, plating a run in the first and four more in the third, including three via bases-loaded walks. Jackson Jones capped the scoring with a two-run homer in the sixth, his first of the season.

    Tri-State was outhit, 8-4, and committed multiple errors for the second consecutive game. Starter Kenyon Collins allowed seven runs on nine hits but struck out six, extending his Appalachian League-leading strikeout total to 37.

TRI-STATE 000 000 0XX – 0 4 2

JOHNSON CITY 104 113 XXX – 10 8 2

Oliver, Castro (6), and Gonzalez; LoPinto, Daily (7), and Chang

Hitting: (TS) Rodriguez 1-3, Solier 1-3, Winsett 1-3; (JC) Morrow 2-3 3 R, Jones 1-2 3 RBI

    Tri-State now sits last in the Appalachian League East Division standings at 11-19. They return home to Jack Cook Field to start the week against the Bluefield Ridge Runners before going on the road against the Greenville Flyboys, and the Ridge Runners.