Axmen Go Down Against River Riders in Walk-off
June 29, 2025 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Kingsport Axmen News Release
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. - It was a pitchers' duel through and through with neither team giving an inch until the eighth inning. Kingsport held a 2-0 lead heading into the ninth inning when Luke Donaghey walked it off with a two-run single to give Elizabethton the 3-2 win Saturday.
Miguel Bonilla and Ronin Vicenti were the starting pitchers for the contest between the River Riders and Axmen and both of them had near perfect performances.
Bonilla tossed four scoreless innings and struck out eight batters for the River Riders and Vicenti tossed five scoreless frames and struck out six batters for the Axmen.
The Axmen would have a chance to break the tie in the sixth when Jace Roosien hit what was supposed to be a sacrifice fly into right field to score Kam Durnin at third.
However, Mason Swinney got a bit too far off first base and Donaghey slung the baseball all the way from right field to first base to double the Axmen up, and end the half inning still tied at zero.
In the seventh, Elizabethton had a chance to score on a Donaghey single. Lennox Lively raced around third base, barrelling home, but he underestimated the Boston College connection between Colin Larson and catcher Roosien. Larson put the throw on the money and Roosien applied the tag to keep it tied.
Kingsport broke the tie in the eighth on a wild pitch then a passed ball, which gave them the lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Micah Wells went three up, three down in the eighth for the Axmen and he was three outs away from securing the victory.
He hit the leadoff hitter in the arm then Lively crushed a ball off the wall in right-center to put Cadyn Karl and himself in scoring position.
Wells struck out the next batter, but then walked Josh Owens loading the bases.
Jack Ratcliffe hit a sac fly into right field to score Karl from third, but the River Riders were down to their last out.
Donaghey stepped up to the plate a perfect 3-for-3 on the evening and turned on a pitch in the zone from Wells. Lively scored easily as the ball rolled into the outfield corner. Owens then rounded third hustling for the plate. The throw came in just a split second late as Owens slid across the plate, capping a dramatic comeback victory in walk-off fashion.
Kingsport has struggled to maintain leads as of late and it is beginning to result in big losses. The Axmen do have a chance to right the ship against the River Riders on Sunday for the 5 p.m., seven-inning showdown.
Appalachian League Stories from June 29, 2025
- Axmen Go Down Against River Riders in Walk-off - Kingsport Axmen
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