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ApL Kingsport Axmen

Humphreys Pitches Well But Cards Take 4-1 Decision

July 30, 2016 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Kingsport Axmen News Release


JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.-After scoring the tying and go-ahead runs in bottom of innings three and four, Johnson City cashed in on a critical fielding error to score two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to cruise passed the Kingsport Mets 4-1 Saturday night in Game 4 of the four-game series at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.

Kingsport (14-23) has now lost 11 of its last 14 contests dating back to an 8-1 victory over the Burlington Royals on July 17 and have dropped its fourth-consecutive series in Appalachian League play. Kingsport will look for a fresh start Sunday afternoon when the Greeneville Astros come to Hunter Wright Stadium for a 4 p.m. first pitch as the club has now sunk to six games out of first place in the Western division.

Johnson City (19-17) fell behind early as Kingsport's Reed Gamache singled in Ricardo Cespedes in the top of the third inning for the club's first and only score of the day. The utility man has now drove in runs in each of his last two games and has tallied 11 hits in his last seven ballgames. Gamache's batting average has come from .275 to .325 during the span.

The Cardinals would answer back in the bottom of the frame as J.R. Davis recorded a one-out single and then proceeded to steal both second and third base on consecutive pitches. Following a strikeout form Shane Billings, Matthew Fielder would drive a double off the center field wall to bring in Davis and tie the game at a run apiece.

The Red Birds would tally another run on the board in the inning that followed when Luis Bandes grounded into a 6-4-3 double play with runners on both first and third base with no outs. The double play did bring in Joshua Lopez from third base, however, and Johnson City was in front 2-1 after four innings of play.

Two innings later in the bottom of the sixth, Andrew Knizner would single with one away. Lopez would then come to the plate and single to right field, but the ball rolled under the glove of Kingsport's right fielder, Jose Miguel Medina, and all the way to the right field wall-allowing Knizner to score all the way from first base as Lopez trotted all the way to third on the miscue. Two batters later, Banded would avenge his double play a couple of innings earlier by singling in Lopez for the Cardinal's fourth and final run of the game.

The final three innings would remain scoreless as Levi MaVorhis came on to pitch the ninth inning while picking up his first save of the season in the process.

Ian Oxnevad would get the no decision for Johnson City after starting the game and pitching 4.2 innings of six-hit baseball. The Appalachian League's leader for strikeouts would punch out six on the night while yielding only one run.

Ross Vance (1-0) picked up the win in relief of Oxnevad after tossing 3.1 innings of one-hot baseball. The right-hander sat down an impressive six K-Mets via strikeout in limited work out of the bullpen.

Jordan Humphreys (1-4) was charged for the loss after pitching a respectful seven innings on the mound. The righty issued seven hits and gave up only two earned runs while tallying six strikeouts of his own in the process. Aside from Humphreys, only Jake Simon and Thomas Szapucki have pitched into the seventh inning during a start this season for Kingsport.

Gamache tallied the lone RBI on the night in a 1-for-3 effort at the plate, however, Jeremy Woolf collected three hits on the night to raise his batting average to .274. Fiedler and Bandes drove a run apiece on the night for Johnson City while Lopez scored two runs.

Kingsport will return home Sunday afternoon to face the Appalachian League's West leading Greeneville Astros for a 4:00 p.m. first pitch time. Jake Simon will take the mound for Kingsport while Diogenes Almengo will start for the Astros.

Coverage on the Kingsport Mets Baseball Network will begin at 3:45 p.m. with Eric Cain bringing you all of the action from the Don Spivey Press Box behind home plate at Hunter Wright Stadium. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

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