Cards Win Game One in Burlington

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.- On Tuesday the Johnson City Cardinals traveled to Burlington, North Carolina to take on the Burlington Royals in game number one of the 2016 Appalachian League Championship Series. In the regular season the Cardinals and Royals split the six games that they played against each other. 

In the bottom of the first inning, Gabriel Cancel and Kort Peterson hit back-to-back doubles giving the Royals their first run of the game of starting pitcher Ramon Santos. Following the Peterson double, Santos threw a wild pitch setting up a Chris DeVito RBI ground out making the score 2-0.

In the top of the second inning, the Cardinals answered right back by cutting the Royals lead in half with a DeAndre Asbury-Heath single into centerfield scoring Josh Lopez who started the inning with a single. 

In the third inning, Johnson City would knot the game up at two a side. This time Andrew Knizner picked up his first RBI of the game scoring Allen Cordoba. 

The difference in the game was the top of the fourth inning, as Johnson City took advantage of sloppy defense from the Burlington Royals. Three errors in the inning allowed four runs to come across to score. J.R. Davis drove in the first run of the inning by bringing in DeAndre Asbury-Heath with a single. The inning was capped off by Andrew Knizner as he blasted an RBI double off the left field wall scoring Matt Fiedler. 

Ramon Santos was terrific after giving up a pair of runners in the first inning. Following the first, Santos dealt six scoreless innings giving him seven total innings on the night only allowing two runs while striking out four. The tandem of Ramon Santos, Leland Tilley, and Noel Gonzales did not allow a single outfield fly out, as every out was made in the infield. 

Thanks to the terrific pitching performance, Johnson City would hang on for the 6-2 game one victory in Burlington.

With the victory, the Johnson City Cardinals are now just one win away from winning their fourth Appalachian League Championship in the past seven year. On Wednesday the Cardinals will go for the series victory at TVA Credit Union Ballpark, first pitch scheduled for 7 PM. 

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Winning Pitcher:

Ramon Santos (1-0)

Losing Pitcher:

Garret Davila (0-1)

NOTABLES:

Andrew Knizner 2/5, 2B, 2 RBI's

DeAndre Asbury-Heath 2/4, RBI