Tuesday, July 16, 2024
Following a five-game losing streak to kick off the month of July, the Tri-State Coal Cats managed to win four of their next six road games. The Cats played in three consecutive two-game series against the Johnson City Doughboys, Elizabethton River Riders, and Pulaski River Turtles. Heading into the road trip, Tri-State held a 10-19 record.
The first game of the road trip ended in a 7-9 defeat to the Johnson City Doughboys. Despite scoring first in the top of the fourth, the Coal Cats quickly gave up three runs in the bottom half of the inning to bring the score to 1-3. The score remained close through the sixth inning after both teams scored four additional runs, but Johnson City maintained its lead the rest of the way.
Logan Poteet had another solid day from the batter’s box, notching three hits, three runs, and an RBI. Evan Holewinski got the start, allowing five hits, three walks, and seven strikeouts in five innings. Despite these standout performances, Tri-State dropped its sixth straight game.
Game two of the Johnson City series went Tri-State’s way, as the Cats came away with a 10-5 victory. The winning effort was led by pitchers Joshua Paulina, Jack Renaud, Ben Roberts, and Ryan Brown, who threw a combined no-hitter. Chace Chaplin and Spencer Barnett led the way hitting-wise, as they recorded multiple hits and RBIs
The Doughboys only managed to score five runs off walks and wild pitches. Paired with a solid batting performance, the Cats managed to snap their losing streak and gain some much-needed momentum.
Following the Johnson City series, Tri-State traveled to Elizabethton to take on the River Riders. Tri-State picked up right where it left off, winning two more games in convincing fashion. Game one of the Elizabethton series ended in a 9-2 victory, followed by a 7-3 victory in game two.
Tri-State then took to the road to square off against the Pulaski River Turtles for the last series of the road trip. The River Turtles scored four runs in the second and tacked on another in the third to lead by five early on. Tri-State was able to keep the game close; the Cats trailed by a single run in the top of the seventh. Despite the late-game rally, Pulaski shut the door on Tri-State for the 5-6 victory. The game was close, but in the end, Pulaski snapped Tri-State’s three-game win streak.
The final game of the road trip ended in a 12-5 victory for the Cats. By the end of the third, the Cats held on to a narrow 6-4 lead. Pulaski scored a run in the fifth to bring the River Turtles within one, but Tri-State responded with six huge runs in the top of the sixth inning. The game was called after seven innings.
The Cats remain at the bottom of the Appalachian League East standings, but a successful road trip will help improve Tri-State’s record to 14-21. The Coal Cats will return to Huntington tonight to kick off a two-game home series against Elizabethton before hitting the road again to close out the rest of the week. Game one of the River Riders series is slated for 7:00p.m. ET. Until then, you can catch more Tri-State Coal Cats coverage in the “Coal Cats Corner” section of the website.