Johnathan Edwards
Monday, June 17, 2024
The Tri-State Coal Cats experienced mixed fortunes over the weekend, splitting a pair of games with the Bluefield Ridge Runners. On Saturday, June 15th, Tri-State extended its road game record to a perfect 3-0 with a dominant 11-3 victory over Bluefield. The Coal Cats scored 11 runs on 15 hits, taking advantage of the Ridge Runners’ fielding and pitching struggles. Tri-State’s offense sparked early. In the top of the first inning, Isaac Cadena scored from third base following a mishandled ball by Bluefield catcher Hudson Walburn, allowing Ryan Limerick to reach first. A single from Chace Chaplin brought Jack Smith home, making it 2-0. Jeff Martz then sacrificed his at-bat with a groundout, scoring Limerick from second base. Tri-State led 3-0 before Bluefield even had a chance to bat.
Bluefield responded in the bottom of the first with an RBI single from Noah Smith, scoring Armani Guzman to make it 3-1. However, Tri-State regained momentum with a 2-RBI double from Chace Chaplin in the second inning, extending the lead to 5-1.
Tri-State added runs in the third and fourth innings. A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch scored Trey Lawrence, and a sacrifice fly from Jeff Martz scored Matt Ilgenfritz. Michael Rodriguez singled to score Lawrence, increasing the lead to 8-1. Tri-State’s final three runs came in the fifth and seventh innings. Despite Bluefield scoring two runs in the seventh, Tri-State won convincingly by eight runs. Ben Roberts earned his second win of the season, recording seven strikeouts and maintaining a spotless 0.00 ERA.
Sunday’s game saw a reversal of fortunes, with Bluefield defeating Tri-State 9-4. The Coal Cats didn’t score until the third inning when Isaac Cadena’s RBI double brought Gavin Johnson home, tying the game at 1-1. However, Bluefield scored consistently in the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, tallying eight runs. Tri-State managed to score intermittently but ultimately fell short. The Coal Cats’ record now stands at 5-5 through the first ten games of their 48-game debut season, placing them fourth out of five teams in their division. An important homestand begins Tuesday evening against the Johnson City Doughboys at Jack Cook Field in Huntington, West Virginia. The first pitch of the two-game series is set for 7:00 P.M. For more Tri-State baseball coverage, visit the ‘Coal Cats Corner’ on our website. Onward and upward.