Struggles continue for Coal Cats in latest stretch

 By Ben Anderson

    With the season nearly coming to an end, the struggles continued for the Tri-State Coal Cats last week as it dropped four of six games 

    Tri-State started the week at home splitting a two-game series against the Bluefield Ridge Runners. Game one was all Bluefield as it struck out 16 Coal Cats batters. Five pitchers Christian Charalambous (Presbyterian), Evan O’Neill (Indiana), Zach Applegate (Abilene Christian), Ethan Rucker (Georgetown) and Evan Mobley (Florida Southern).combined in the shutout while allowing only three hits as the Ridge Runners won 2-0. 

    Bluefield struck early with a first-inning RBI single from Ryan Niedzwiedz, then added another in the fourth via Ethan Guerra’s liner to plate Josh Hines. Those two runs proved to be enough.

    Tri-State mustered just three hits and left several runners stranded. Jackson Golden was a bright spot, reaching base four times -- once via single and three times on walks -- but never came around to score.

    Kenneth Jackson took the loss for Tri-State despite a solid outing: four innings, six hits, two runs, three walks and three strikeouts. Cesar Gonzalez added two scoreless innings of relief, fanning four. Applegate earned the win two hitless and scoreless innings. 

BLUEFIELD 100 100 000 – 2 9 1

TRI-STATE 000 000 000 – 0 3 1

Charalambous, O’Neill (3), Applegate (5), Rucker (7), Mobley (8), and Hines; Jackson, Isaacs (5), Gonzalez (7), Jones (9), and Golden

Hitting: (B) Niedzwiedz 3-5 2B RBI, Hines 2-4 2B, Decker 2-4; (TS) Golden 2B, Kosko 1-4, Smolinski 1-3

    Game two would be a different story as Tri-State flipped the script with a 13-3 win in seven innings. 

    The Cats plated runs in four different innings, including four in the sixth and one in the seventh to end the game early. Tyler Smolinski belted his first home run of the season with a solo shot in the bottom of the third, while Gonzalez had a standout day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored.

    Tucker Delisle got the start and pitched four solid innings, allowing two runs on two hits with five strikeouts. Eric Tovar made his Appalachian League debut out of the bullpen, earning the win with two innings of one-run relief.

    Tri-State out-hit Bluefield, 9-5, and held the Ridge Runners scoreless after the fifth.

BLUEFIELD 010 110 0XX – 3 5 2

TRI-STATE 501 004 3XX – 13 9 1

Smith, Brodeur (4), Oak (5), Hoff (7), and Gonzalez; DeLisle, Tovar (5), Copious (7), and Golden

Hitting: (B) Decker 1-4 2B, Nicols 1-2 RBI, Niedzwiedz 1-4 RBI; (TS) Golden 2-4 2 RBI, Smolinski 1-2 HR

    The Coal Cats then traveled to Greenville where they were swept by the Flyboys. Game one was a game resumed from June 14th as the Coal Cats fell 15-7. 

    The Coal Cats’ DeMir Heidelberg — who was not yet on the Tri-State roster when the game began June 14 at Jack Cook Field — homered in the second at-bat of the game’s second half to get the Coal Cats within 5-3 through five innings. But the Flyboys scored two runs in the top of the sixth — they remained the visiting team on the scoreboard because the game had been started in Huntington — and piled on with four in the seventh, three in the eighth and one in the ninth.

    Smolinski drove in three runs and Gonzalez knocked in two for the Coal Cats. Smolinski hit a three-run dinger in the eighth inning. Heidelberg and Sam Winsett scored two runs apiece for Tri-State.

    J.D. Hay, the fourth of six Greeneville pitchers, got the win. He allowed one earned run on one hit in three frames of work, with four strikeouts. Tri-State starter LaFine took the decision, allowing five runs — three earned — on seven hits, with three walks on four strikeouts in four innings in the game’s first stint. Only eight of the 18 players in the starting batting orders finished the game in the same position in which they started it.

GREENVILLE 300 202 431 – 15 15 3

TRI-STATE 000 210 040 – 7 7 4

Adams, Mackowiak (4), Lewis (5), Hay (5), Richards (8), Diaz (8), and Francisco; Lafine, Proctor (5), Sylvest (6), McIntosh (7), Golden (8), and Gonzalez

Hitting: (G) Kim 3-6 2 RBI, Hunter 2-5, Jackson HR; (TS) Smolinski HR, Heidelberg HR

    Game two of the originally scheduled double-header was cancelled due to rain. The Flyboys in game three put the dagger in the sweep with Brady Fransisco hitting a game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to give the Flyboys a 7-6 victory.

    Greenville jumped first, scoring two runs in the first innings, with Cameron Kim knocking a RBI single scoring Reid Harie, and Dylan Jackson smacking a Double scoring Kim. 

    Tri-State tied it up at two in the top of the second with a two-run RBI Single by Winsett. Greenville retook the lead as Haire scored on a wild pitch. 

    Tri-State exploded for four runs in the fourth inning with Heidelberg, Xavier Rivera, Winsett, and Julio Soiler all having RBI singles to give the Coal Cats a 6-3 lead.

    Greenville scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth as Peyton Miller drilled an RBI single to score Mycah Jordan, and later scored on a wild pitch. 

    The Flyboys then walked it off in the sixth inning with Jace Patton scoring on a fielding error and Frascisco with an RBI single to score Jackson. 

    Jacob Thompson took the loss for the Coal Cats allowing four hits, and four runs in two innings of relief. Hunter Sloop picked up the win in relief for the Flyboys only allowing one hit through two innings while striking out one. 

TRI-STATE 020 400 XXX – 6 9 4

GREENVILLE 210 022 XXX – 7 8 0

Yoak, Castro (4), Thompson (5), and Golden; Bade, Sloop (5), Kay (7), and Francisco, 

Hitting: (TS) Heidelberg 2-2 RBI, Winsett 2-3 RBI; (G) Patton 2-2, Jackson 2B, Haire 1-3 

    The Coal Cats ended the week splitting two games on the road against the Bluefield RIdge Runners. Game one saw the Coal Cats breeze to a 15-4 victory.

    The Coal Cats attacked early, scoring two runs in the first inning as Solier scored on a throwing error after stealing third and Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly into center field to score Smolinski. Bluefield tied it at two-all in the bottom of the second with a two-run homer by Nathan Nichols. 

    Tri-State scored nine runs through the third and sixth innings to take control of the game, and added four more in the final two innings. Bluefield tacked on two in the fifth but it would not be enough. 

TRI-STATE 203 042 013 – 15 14 3

BLUEFIELD 020 020 00X – 4 4 5

Collins, Isaacs (6), Rodriguez (8), and Golden; Caraballo, Dudolski (4), Charalambous (6), Rucker (6), and Bradley

Hitting: (TS) Heidelberg 3-4 5 RBI HR, Solier 2-4 3B, Smolinski 2-5 HR; (B) Nichols 2-2 HR

    Game two saw the Ridge Runners pick up their 22nd win of the season with a 11-10 victory.

    Tri-State scored nine runs in the first three innings including four in the opening frame. Bluefield turned around and scored 10 in the second and third innings to take a 10-9 lead. 

    Bluefield then scored an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth. Chandler Murray cut the deficit to one with a Solo home run to left field but it would not be enough. 

    Mobley picked up the win for the Ridge Runners going 2 and two-thirds innings in relief, allowing one hit and striking out three. Joe Gomez took the loss for Tri-State as he went two-thirds innings in relief allowing three hits, four runs, and two walks while striking out one. 

TRI-STATE 414 000 1XX – 10 7 1

BLUEFIELD 019 010 XXX  – 11 10 1

Oliver, Gomez (3), Tovar (4), Jones (6), and Rivera; Foster, Mobley (3) Blease (6), and Hines

Hitting: (TS) Murray 3-4 3B HR, Heidelberg 1-3 2B, Kosko 1-3 2B; (B) Campbell 2-3 RBI, Decker 2-4 HR, Valdes Jr 1-3 2B

    Tri-State now sits fourth in the Appalachian League East Division at 14-23. They now return home for their final homestand of the season with six games including two against the Bristol State Liners and four against the Burlington Sock Puppets.