Danville splits doubleheader with Bluefield in Appalachian League action
The Danville Otterbots split an Appalachian League doubleheader with the Bluefield Ridge Runners Wednesday evening …
BLUEFIELD, Va. — The Danville Otterbots split an Appalachian League doubleheader with the Bluefield Ridge Runners Wednesday evening.
Danville took the opener, 1–0, before falling to Bluefield 2–1 in the night cap.
In Game 1, the Otterbots got a solid start from former Tunstall standout Raymond Ladd (Radford University). Ladd scattered just two hits, gave up no runs and struck out three in two innings thrown. James Guyette (Kansas State) picked up his second win of the season, tossing two innings of hitless ball while striking out four of the six he faced. Cyle Phelan (UNC-Wilmington) got the save, giving up no runs and no hits while fanning two in two innings thrown.
Blake Gillespie (Georgia) matched Ladd’s effort in the start, scattering four hits and a single run — earned — and striking out six in five innings of work. Shawn Parnell (Cincinnati) closed the game, throwing two innings of hitless, shutout ball while striking out one.
Ladd shut down six of the eight he faced, striking out the side in the second. Gillespie retired nine of the first 11 batters he battled with three coming via strikeout. The result of the duel was a scoreless tie entering the top of the fourth.
That’s where Danville (19–10) pounced, scoring the game’s only run. Alex Conover (Cowley CC) smacked a lead-off double to get things rolling and Micah Dean (Kansas State) followed a few batters later with a single to right field that scored Conover with the game-winning run.
Former Chatham standout Carrington Aaron led Danville with two hits while Dean drove in the only run.
Tre Keels (Miami) and Nick English (Kansas State) recorded the only hits for Bluefield (17–13).
Pitching was once again the theme in Game 2. Brandon Arnold (Mercyhurst) picked up his first win of the season, scattering two hits and allowing no runs while striking out four in 1.2 innings thrown. Miles Feldner (Spartanburg Methodist Jr.) earned his first save of the year, closing the seventh. Wyatt Sisk (West Virginia Tech) turned in a solid start, giving up a single hit and run while fanning four in 4.1 innings thrown.
The Ridge Runners delivered the first blow, scoring a run in the bottom of the second. Sam Silas (Jacksonville State) got things going with his ground-rule double down the right-field line and Aaron Jamison (West Virginia) made it a 1–0 game with his RBI single to right.
Alexander Wright (George Washington) doubled down on the lead with his RBI double in the bottom of the third.
The Otterbots finally cracked the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. Jackson Tyer (Delaware) got things rolling with a one-out walk and Andrew Marcello (Canisius) and Charlie Carter (Oklahoma State) loaded the bases with back-to-back singles. A wild pitch scored Tyer to pull the ‘Bots within 2–1.
Wright and Jamison led Bluefield with an RBI each.
Former Halifax County standout Mason Hatcher (Radford University) was solid in the nightcap, giving up no runs on one hit and striking out three in two innings thrown.
Danville returns to action tomorrow when it takes on Kingsport on the road at 7 p.m.
