Last Wednesday River City traveled down to Tarboro and beat the River Bandits by the score of 14-0. On Sunday night in Elizabeth City, Tarboro came looking for payback.
The Bandits succeeded by dominating the home team 9-0 in seven innings at Knobbs Creek Park.
After a one-hour rain delay Sunday, the Skippers had the difficult assignment of facing undefeated left-hander Collin Kerrigan who was just about unhittable. The 6-foot, 6-inch 250-pound freshman at Middle Tennessee State University came into the game with an ERA of 1.37, having surrendered just 17 hits in 26⅓ innings while striking out 36 batters.
The Skippers would manage just two singles off of Kerrigan who would strike out six and walk just one batter in five full innings of work.
Kerrigan got all the support he needed as the Bandits scored two runs in the top of the first inning. After a flyout, River City starting pitcher Jalen Greenidge walked Brett Rogers. A wild pitch moved him to second, and then Bandit right-fielder Cam Greenway doubled down the left field line to send home the first run. After stealing third base, Greenway would score on a groundout.
For the Skippers, it was nine up and nine down in the first three innings. Greenidge held Tarboro at bay until the fourth inning when the Bandits broke open the game with four runs. It started with a leadoff home run off the bat of Tarboro catcher Dan Stewart, a towering fly ball that cleared the fence in left-center.
With one out, the next three hitters walked, loading the bases. Greenidge was replaced by pitcher T.J. Norvell who got the next batter on a sacrifice fly to left field, the runner on third tagging and coming home. Tarboro left fielder Ryan Fluharty then drove in two runs with a two-out sharp single to centerfield.
River City had their best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fourth inning. With one out, Josh Holland lined a single over second base, the first hit of the game for the Skippers. Doyle McNew then followed with a base hit to left to put two runners on base. One out later, Cayden Dudley worked a full count base-on-balls to load the bases. However, Kerrigan got the third out on a strikeout to end the threat.
Three straight hits and two walks would plate three more runs for the visitors in the fifth inning.
Ben Seracki of Elon University relieved Kerrigan and preserved the seven-inning shutout for the Bandits. Ryan Bibb led off the Skipper sixth with an infield single, but he was erased by a Tarboro 5-4-3 double play. River City went out in order in the seventh on three ground balls.
Earl Weaver, the Hall of Fame manager for the Baltimore Orioles, once said that “The only thing that matters is what happens on that little bump out in the middle of the field.” Weaver was talking about pitching, and Tarboro has plenty of quality arms.
The first-half champions of the Northeastern Division of the Old North State League have eight pitchers on the roster with an earned-run average of less than 3.00, and with that kind of depth on the mound the River Bandits can match up with any team in the league.
A bright spot for the Skippers Sunday was the relief work of Gabe King. The junior at Chowan University pitched 1⅔ innings of scoreless relief.
The fielding gem of the night was turned in by River City third baseman Dudley who ran over into foul ground, reached over the fence, and gloved a pop fly to end the fifth inning.
The Skippers’ next home game will be Tuesday night against rival Edenton. The Steamers will be coming to the “Shipyard” for a contest that starts at 7 p.m.
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