River Riders Continue to Struggle, Lose at Johnson City
ApL Elizabethton River Riders

River Riders Continue to Struggle, Lose at Johnson City

Published on July 18, 2026 under Appalachian League (ApL)
Elizabethton River Riders News Release


JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Just nine days ago, Elizabethton was in first place in the West Division. After losing 10-4 to Johnson City at TVA Credit Union Ballpark on Saturday, the River Riders now need a ton of help to simply make the Appy League playoffs.

How it Happened:

With two outs in the first, Nate Eisfelder smoked a solo homer over the scoreboard. Johnson City kept that 1-0 advantage through the first two innings.

Eisfelder then crushed another homer, this time a 396-foot two run shot, once again over the scoreboard, in the third. Later in the inning, Anthony Temesvary blasted a two-out 390-foot two-run shot. The Doughboys were all over the River Riders early, 5-0, after three innings of play.

Elizabethton did eventually score, and it appeared magnets were dragging the ball over the top of the scoreboard. Miles Shore smashed a two-run homer to the same spot as Eisfelder and Temesvary's bombs. Despite that, the River Riders loaded the bases later in the inning without scoring and had to settle for a 5-2 score when the fourth ended.

Then, a run was scored for the first time without a home run being involved. Temesvary earned his third RBI of the day with a double in the fifth. Johnson City lead 6-2 until the seventh.

In the seventh, Elizabethton first left the bases loaded without scoring in the top of the inning, and Blake Herrell drove in Eli Thurmond with a sacrifice groundout to make it 7-2 by the end of the frame.

A rally was attempted in the Eighth by the River Riders. Elizabethton loaded the bases with no outs before Jackson Reardon roped an RBI single. Then, Luke Billings rolled a sacrifice groundout to score Cole Pladson from third.

If the River Riders were going to have a chance, they needed to keep the 7-4 score from growing in the bottom of the inning.

That did not happen, however. Noah Cox got hit by a pitch, Kenyon Hughes Jr. lined a single and Thurmond drilled a ball to center field. Pladson tried to make a play on the ball but could not as the ball ricocheted away from him off the 410-foot center field wall. Cox, Hughes Jr. and Thurmond all scored on the inside the park home run. The lead grew to 10-4 entering the ninth.

The Elizabethton offense then failed to score in the nineth, sealing their eighth straight loss.

Game Notes:

Eisfelder, Thurmond and Temesvary all had three RBIs.

The Doughboys outhit the River Riders,14-10.

Eisfelder had four homers entering the day; he had two in tonight's matchup.

Elizabethton used four pitchers in the loss.

Up Next:

The River Riders (17-20) desperately need a win against Greeneville (17-19) at Eastman Credit Union Field. First pitch for the seven-inning Sunday matchup is set for 2 p.m.

By Nicholas Goodman

Check out the Elizabethton River Riders Statistics

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Appalachian League Stories from July 18, 2026


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