The WGOM

Johnson City scored three in the first and never looked back as the Cardinals defeated the Twins 6-2 to take the Appalachian League championship.

Jamaal Hawkins hit a leadoff homer for the Twins to give them a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but it would be Elizabethton's only lead of the night.  Johnson City turned four singles and a couple of productive outs into three runs in the bottom of the first to go up 3-1.  The scored stayed 3-1 until the sixth, when the Cardinals added an insurance run to go ahead 4-1.  The Twins scored once in the eighth on a pair of singles and an error, making the score 4-2 and bringing Oswaldo Arcia up to bat with the tying run, but he struck out to end the threat.  Johnson City's Virgil Hill hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to end the scoring.

Hawkins had a single to go with his home run; he was the only Twin with two hits.  Logan Darnell took the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6.2 innings.  Michael Tonkin pitched 1.1 innings and gave up the two eighth inning runs.

Hill had a double to go with his home run, driving in three runs for the game.  Travis Tartamella hit a two-run single.  Kevin Siegrist was the winning pitcher, giving up a run on only three hits and no walks with six strikeouts in 6.2 innings.  Trevor Rosenthal allowed an unearned run on two hits in one inning, and Hector Corpas retired all four batters he faced, three by strikeout, to close out the championship and get the save.

The E-Twins scored five runs in the tenth inning to break a 1-1 tie and take a 6-3 victory over Pulaski, sweeping the best-of-three series.  Elizabethton will now play Johnson City for the Appalachian League championship.

The game was tied at one through nine innings, as the Mariners scored a run in the fourth and the Twins tied it with one in the sixth.  Elizabethton missed some scoring opportunities in regulation, as they had eight hits but went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position through nine innings.  In an oddity for an Appalachian League game, neither team's pitchers issued a walk.

Gunner Glad opened the Twins' tenth with a single and was advanced to second on a sacrifice.  Nate Roberts was then hit by a pitch, and Oswaldo Arcia singled to drive in the go-ahead run.  Brian Burke singled in an insurance run, and after a pop up, Andy Leer and Kyle Knudson each doubled to give Elizabethton a 6-1 lead.  Matt Browning and Jorge Agudelo opened the bottom of the tenth with back-to-back homers, but Pulaski got no closer than that.

Knudson had a pair of doubles for the game.  Leer doubled and singled, driving in three runs.  Roberts also doubled and singled.  Brian Burke and Daniel Ortiz each had two hits, with Burke scoring twice.  B. J. Hermsen pitched seven strong innings, giving up one run on four hits.  David Gutierrez got the win with two innings of one-hit relief.  Jose Gonzalez gave up the two home runs in the tenth.

Browning had a single to go with his home run for the Mariners.  Boyce struck out eight in six solid innings, giving up a run on six hits.  Bischoff had pitched two shutout innings of relief before allowing all five tenth-inning runs in his third inning of work; for the game he allowed five runs on five hits with four strikeouts in 2.2 innings to take the loss.

Johnson City also swept its playoff series, defeating Burlington 20-2.  Neither team gets any rest, as the championship series will start tonight.  The Cardinals finished one game ahead of the Twins in the AL West, so tonight's opening playoff game will be in Elizabethton, with game two and game three, if necessary, in Johnson City.

Elizabethton scored two in the fourth to tie and three in the eighth to take a 7-4 victory over Pulaski in game one of the first round of the Appalachian League playoffs in Elizabethton.

Much of the scoring came early, as both starters struggled.  Jetsy Extrano hit a two-run homer in the top of the first to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead.  The Twins got one back in the bottom of the first without benefit of a hit, as an error, a ground out, and a sacrifice fly by Oswaldo Arcia plated a run.  Each team scored in the second to make the score 3-2.  In the third, it was Pulaski’s turn to score without a hit, as a hit batsman, an error, and a stolen base made the score 4-2.

Elizabethton’s pitching and defense then settled down, and the offense got them back in the game.  Andy Leer led off the fourth with a triple and scored on a wild pitch.  Kyle Knudson then walked, advanced to second on a single, and scored on Nate Roberts’ double to tie the score at four.

The game remained even until the eighth.  Gunner Glad led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a wild pitch to give the Twins the lead.  Roberts then walked and stole second, leading to the intentional walk of Arcia.  Brian Burke singled to load the bases, and Daniel Ortiz hit a two-run double to give Elizabethton valuable insurance runs.  Pulaski never threatened in the ninth inning.

Ortiz had two doubles and a single to lead the Twins’ offense.  Leer had a double and a triple, and Roberts and Glad each had two doubles.  Jhonatan Arias contributed two hits.  Eight of the Twins’ fourteen hits went for extra bases.

Starter Manuel Soliman struck out eight in 6.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk.  Michael Tonkin got the win, going 2.1 innings.  He allowed only one baserunner, a hit batsman with two out in the ninth inning.

Jake Schlander got two hits to lead Pulaski.  Extrano homered, scored twice, and drove in two.  Stephen Kohlscheen gave up the first four runs (three earned) on seven hits and two walks in four innings.  He struck out five.  The loss went to Tim Griffin, who pitched the final two innings and gave up all three eighth inning runs on three hits and two walks.

The series now moves to Pulaski for game two and game three, if necessary.  In the other playoff series, Johnson City defeated Burlington 8-4 in Burlington.  That series will now move to Johnson City for game two and game three, if necessary.

We are taking Elizabethton out of the normal order because they are the only Twins affiliate likely to make the playoffs (although Ft. Myers and Beloit still have a slight chance).  We will be providing daily updates of their playoff run, which starts tonight, in addition to our normal minor league reports; therefore, we give a season-ending report today.

Since last report, the E-Twins are 3-3.  For the season, the Twins are 41-25, second in the AL West, one game behind Johnson City.  They led Bristol and Greeneville by ten games for the second playoff spot in their division.

QUICK SUMMARIES

Pulaski 3, Elizabethton 2 in Elizabethton.  Andy Leer had two singles and a home run, scoring twice.  Oswaldo Arcia singled and tripled.  Adam Achter and Justin Gallant each threw two shutout innings.

Elizabethton 5, Pulaski 0.  Daniel Ortiz doubled and homered.  Kyle Knudson had two hits.  Gunner Glad hit a two-run homer.  Logan Darnell allowed three hits in six innings.

Princeton 4, Elizabethton 1 in Elizabethton.  Jamaal Hawkins had two doubles.  Ryan O’Rourke threw 2.2 scoreless innings.  Adam Achter worked a scoreless ninth.

Princeton 6, Elizabethton 0.  Brian Burke singled and walked.  Justin Gallant threw three shutout innings.  Jose Gonzalez pitched a scoreless ninth.  The Twins had only three singles.

Elizabethton 7, Princeton 2.  Brian Burke, Kyle Knudson, and Jhonatan Arias each had two singles and a double, with Burke scoring twice, Arias driving in two, and Knudson doing both.

Elizabethton 9, Johnson City 3 at Johnson City.  Andy Leer had two doubles and a triple, scoring twice.  Brian Burke and Daniel Ortiz each singled and doubled, with Ortiz driving in two.

Who’s hot:  Andy Leer is 8-for-25.  He is .266/.312/.403 in 248 at-bats.  Brian Burke is 9-for-24.  He is .286/.343/.437 in 231 at-bats.  Jose Gonzalez has allowed 0 runs, 3 hits, and 2 walks with 14 strikeouts in 7.2 innings.  He is 1-1, 0.41, 0.64 WHIP in 22 innings.  Logan Darnell has given up 0 runs, 6 hits, and 4 walks with 16 strikeouts in 15 innings.  He is 2-3, 2.08, 0.98 WHIP in 34 innings.  Michael Tonkin has allowed 0 runs, 3 hits, and 0 walks with 7 strikeouts in 7.1 innings.  He is 1-0, 1.08, 0.88 WHIP in 25 innings.

Who’s cold:  Jamaal Hawkins is 3-for-21.  He is .209/.303/.284 in 201 at-bats.  Gunner Glad is 3-for-18.  He is .241/.297/.335 in 158 at-bats.  Nick Lockwood is 0-for-14.  He is .180/.217/.220 in 100 at-bats.  Blayne Weller has allowed 15 runs (10 earned), 23 hits, and 1 walk in 13.2 innings.  He is 3-6, 4.57, 1.51 WHIP in 65 innings.

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