
Explosive Offense Guides River Riders to First Win of 2026 Season
Published on June 7, 2026 under Appalachian League (ApL)
Elizabethton River Riders News Release
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. - The Elizabethton River Riders earned their first win of the season with a decisive 16-3 win at the Northeast Community Credit Union Ballpark. The River Riders never trailed in the series finale.
How It Happened
Elizabethton's offense came out strong against the Flyboys, scoring six runs in the first inning. Jackson Reardon had an RBI single to take the lid off the scoreboard, Hank Gomric followed that up with a single that drove in Reardon, and Austin Rose hit a single which allowed Gomric to score. Dillon Adkins got an RBI off a fielding error from Ruben Zuany, and Evan Damario hit an RBI ground ball to give Elizabethton a 5-0 lead.
Starting pitcher Jaden Hill was then pulled from the game after going through two thirds of an inning, and Atkins was able to score off a wild pitch to make the score 6-0 at the end of the first.
The Flyboys scored a couple of runs in the second inning, one off a sacrifice ground ball from Levi Pinder and another from an RBI Walk from Bryan Williams, which made the score 6-2 after two innings. The River Riders followed that up with four runs in the third inning. A two-run home run from Nick Riordan followed by a solo home run from Cole Pladson and a RBI single from Hunter Tarchalski made the score 10-2.
In the fifth inning, the Flyboys got a solo homer to left field from Owen ten Oever to make the score 10-3. Any hope of a Flyboys comeback after that was dashed by a six-run sixth inning from Elizabethton. Damario scored first off a wild pitch, Matt Evans earned an RBI single, Gomric got an RBI walk, Tarchalski got his second RBI of the day off a walk and Damario smashed a two-RBI double to make it 16-3 River Riders after the seventh inning.
No more runs were scored in the last two innings as Elizabethton salvaged Game 3 in their opening series against Greeneville.
Game Notes
Colin Bolla earned the win, going five innings with five strikeouts.
The three pitchers for Elizabethton in relief of Bolla did not allow a run.
The River Riders outhit the Flyboys for the first time in the series, 15 to seven.
Greeneville had three errors, Elizabethton had none.
Up Next
On Monday, the River Riders (1-2) will travel on the road for the first time in 2026. They will face the Johnson City Doughboys at TVA Credit Union Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Appalachian League Stories from June 7, 2026
- Explosive Offense Guides River Riders to First Win of 2026 Season - Elizabethton River Riders
- Doughboys Come up Short, Fall in Sweep Attempt against Pulaski - Johnson City Doughboys
- Sock Puppets Complete Sweep of Axmen in Season-Opening Series - Burlington Sock Puppets
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Elizabethton River Riders Stories
- Elizabethton Defeats Kingsport, Stays Alive in Playoff Race
- Axmen Clinch a Playoff Spot with Hard-Fought Victory over River Riders
- Elizabethton Sweeps Bluefield, Stays Alive in Tight Playoff Race
- River Riders Clinch Series, Control Matchup at Ridge Runners
- Elizabethton Defeats Bluefield in Offensive Shootout


