VIDEO: Conover homers, Dean brings home two, Otterbots hold off Johnson City rally for win
Micah Dean drove in two runs, Alex Conover smacked a solo home run and the Danville Otterbots held off a late push from the Johnson City Doughboys for a victory in Appalachian League action Sunday afternoon …
DANVILLE, Va. — Micah Dean drove in two runs, Alex Conover smacked a solo home run and the Danville Otterbots held off a late push from the Johnson City Doughboys for an 8–6 victory in Appalachian League action Sunday afternoon.
Holding a narrow 7–6 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning, Alex Conover (Cowley CC) gave Danville (18–10) a bit of insurance with his solo home run to left field.
Johnson City (13–14) entered the top of the fifth inning facing a 7–3 deficit. However, the Doughboys came storming back for a trio of runs in the frame to pull within one. Colby Backus (Tennessee) continued his big afternoon with a triple that brought Chase Bloomer (Southern Illinois) around and Backus made it a two-run game moments later when he scored on a wild pitch. Christian Toldeo (Allegany CC) pulled Johnson City within one on his RBI single to center field. However, that’s as close as the Doughboys got as Kobie Cushing (Lenoir-Rhyne) induced a lineout and flyout to get the ‘Bots out of the frame holding a 7–6 lead.
The fifth was the conclusion of a three-inning rally that nearly saw Johnson City erase a seven-run deficit. The Doughboys entered the top of the third trailing 7–0 but tagged the Otterbots for a pair of runs in the frame to pull within five. With the bases loaded, Backus stepped up and drilled a single to left that plated Joey LaMattina (Lincoln Memorial) and Kyler Proctor (Oklahoma State) and made it a 7–2 game.
Johnson City kept its momentum rolling with a run in the fourth on LaMattina’s RBI sacrifice fly that pulled the Doughboys within four at 7–3.
Danville struck early, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Dean started things off when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Jacob Smith (Central Alabama CC) made it a 2–0 contest with his RBI sacrifice fly to right.
It was the second where the ‘Bots did the most damage, tagging the Doughboys for five runs in the frame. Addison Smith started the rally with his run-scoring double to right and Dean kept his big evening going with a single through the left side that made it a four-run game. Addison Smith scored moments later on a double play and Kaden Martin (East Tennessee State) capped the rally with his run-scoring single that made it a six-run contest. Jaxon Goldberg (Central Florida) capped the rally with his single to right that scored Martin for a 7–0 lead.
Cushing got the win on the bump, striking out two of the three batters he faced in th fifth. Garrett Hodges (Gardner-Webb) picked up his fourth save of the year, retiring the side in the seventh.
Dean led Danville with a pair of RBI while Addison Smith, Conover, Jacob Smith, Martin and Carter drove in a run each.
Backus led Johnson City with three RBI while Toledo and LaMattina brought home a run apiece.
Danville will get a well-deserved break tomorrow before resuming play Tuesday night on the road at Bluefield. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
