ELIZABETH CITY — Saturday night, June 22, at Knobbs Creek Park in Elizabeth City was a perfect evening for baseball. A larger-than-usual crowd came out for the third matchup between the hometown River City Skippers and Old North State League-leading Edenton Steamers.
The fans were rewarded with a tight and exciting contest, with the Steamers holding a slim 1-run advantage into the 8th inning. The game was then sealed by the bat of Edenton second baseman Caden Rector. The junior at Chowan University lined a solo home run in the 8th, and a 2-run double in the ninth inning to clinch a 7-3 win for the visitors and their third win over the Skippers in as many tries.
Coming off of a 11-8 victory over the Kinston Wingmen Friday night, the Skippers were looking to upset their natural rivals Steamers, who are tied with Tarboro at the top of the Northeastern Division of the Old North State League with a record of 8-4.
River City, with a league record of 3-9, is in fifth place in the division, but have played very competitive baseball of late. The Skippers had two 1-run losses on the road the past week — games that could have gone their way with a couple of breaks.
The Steamers took an early lead Saturday night with two runs in the first inning without hitting the ball out of the infield. Bryce Stevens worked a game-opening walk off River City starting pitcher Jaden Greenidge and then stole second base.
Brady Williams laid down a perfect bunt and an overthrow brought Stevens home with the first run. Jake Absher sacrifice bunt then moved Williams to third and he would score on a groundout by designated hitter Aaron Maxie.
Lefthander Nicky Wohlking, a senior at Chowan, started for Edenton and worked out of a slight jam in the bottom of the first. The Skippers had runners on first and second with two outs on a single by Ivan Santos and a walk to catcher Doyle McNew. However, Wohlking induced a grounder to second to end the threat.
That would be an early pattern for the Steamers pitcher who would put two runners on in each of the next two innings but then made good pitches to get the third out and keep River City scoreless.
Greenidge got a lift from his defense in the third frame. With two outs, Jackson Ellyson walked. Maxie singled, but the inning ended as Ellyson was thrown out on a great throw to third by centerfielder Anders Brown.
The Skippers broke through in the bottom of the 4th without the benefit of a base hit. Carter Stevenson walked, as did Josh Holland after fouling off three 3-2 pitches. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch to the screen.
At that point, Edenton changed pitchers, going to righthander Will Pennington. After a failed bunt attempt for the first out, Jalen Greenidge lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to produce the first run. Santos walked putting runners on the corners. Then, the Skippers shortstop was caught in a rundown, but managed to avoid being tagged out until Holland touched home plate. The second run tied the game at 2-2.
After a scoreless fifth, Edenton regained the lead in the sixth off new Skippers pitcher Cole Langley. Ellyson walked and moved to second on a bunt single by Maxie. A sacrifice bunt put both runners in scoring position with one out. Sam Stowe hit a high-hopper that bounced just between the reach of the second baseman to knock in two runs. Stowe was thrown out at second by right fielder Kam Morriss, but the Steamers had scored twice and led 4-2.
River City got one back in the bottom of the inning. First baseman Sean Goings doubled to the left field fence with one out. After the second out was recorded, Santos grounded a ball to shortstop. It was going to be a tough play to get the speedy Skippers shortstop, but the throw got away and Goings scored.
The game remained 4-3 in favor of the Clams until one out, nobody on base, in the top of the eighth inning. That was when the 5-foot 7-inch, 170-pound Rector cranked a fastball over the fence in left field. The line shot gave the visitors a two-run cushion at 5-3.
The Skippers loaded the bases in the 8th off Steamers reliever Logan Lingenfelter, but they could not get a clutch hit to plate any runs.
Edenton added to its advantage in the ninth when Rector capped off his big night with a two-out two-run double to provide the final 7-3 margin of victory as River City was retired in order in its last turn at bat.
The Skippers have a three-game homestand starting Thursday when they host the Tar Heel Kings. That will be followed with a Friday night game against the Tidewater Drillers, and then Sunday night at Knobbs Creek against the Native American National Team.
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