6/8 - 6/14 ONSL Game of the Week

RAMSEUR, NORTH CAROLINA - The game between the River City Skippers and Kinston Wingmen would go on to be one of the highest scoring games of the week, with the offenses going back and forth in scoring all game. The divisional game was defined by big innings, as River City scored five in the bottom of the seventh inning and Kinston answered back by scoring six runs of their own in the eighth. The game would mark the first time these divisional opponents faced each other this summer, and it’s safe to say that the matchup didn’t disappoint. 

The River City Skippers got on the board first with a four-run effort in their first inning at the plate, taking advantage of pitching and defensive mistakes before an RBI groundout by Jaden Greenidge produced their fourth and final run of the inning. 

Scoring would halt until the top of the 3rd, when Kinston used singles by Thomas Landsnes and Aj Simmons to get on base early, followed by an RBI groundout by Korbin Pettigrew. The trend would continue throughout the inning, as another run was added by a groundout hit by Carson Prescott. The highlight of the inning for the Wingmen would come off the bat of Travis Gamache, who would contribute to the scoring with an RBI double. The Skippers would add a tally of their own courtesy of a home run hit by shortstop Ivan Santos, and the trend would carry over into the fourth. 

For a game that was very back-and-forth, the fourth inning proved to be crucial. The Wingmen made a valiant effort to even the score by taking their first lead of the game courtesy of a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Pettigrew, who already had an RBI to his name earlier in the game. RBI singles by Shumata Brown and Jacob Koenig would end the inning with the Wingmen down by only a run, for a tally of 8-7. 

The fifth inning would see some more action by both teams with the Wingmen putting up another run and the Skippers adding a pair to their tally, giving River City an 10-8 lead at the end of the inning. Both teams would be held scoreless in the sixth inning, a rare feat in this game, but the scoring would be far from over at the conclusion of the frame. 

River City wasted no time getting the offense going in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the team took advantage of scoring chances created by a lead off single by Carter Stevenson, a pair of walks, and a HBP. Ivan Santos would continue his big night with an RBI single to drive in the first run of the frame, and a HBP with bases loaded would account for the second. The biggest contribution to the high-scoring inning would come off the bat of Kamron Morris, whose two-run double would add to the lopsided number put up by the Skippers. 

The Wingmen offense would do it all in an attempt to even the score in the top of the eighth inning, using a combination of hits and walks to push runs across the board. An RBI double from Shumata Brown would cut the deficit to six, and RBIs from Jacob Koenig and Travis Gamache helped keep the inning rolling. A double steal from Koenig and Gamache would set up an RBI opportunity for Carter Starkweather, who took full advantage by singling to score another run. Outfielder Justin Ellison would provide the final two runs of the frame via an RBI single, but the rally would come up just short of tying River City. 

The final inning would go on to be the only third scoreless inning of the game, allowing the Skippers to edge out the Wingmen in a one-run game. The two teams play again on Friday, June 21st, and fans can look forward to seeing more of the same from each of these two high-powered offenses during that contest.