Cardinals Suffer Sweep by Twins

JOHNSON CITY, TN - The Johnson City Cardinals were defeated by the Elizabethton Twins on Friday night 13-10. The Cardinals end their seven game homestand with a 2-5 record, and were swept in a four game set by Elizabethton. The Cardinals fall to 9-13 on the season and fall to five games back of first place Elizabethton.
Noel De Jesus got the start for the Johnson City Cardinals. He came in with a 2-0 record, 4.54 ERA and 14 strikeouts. Noel went 3.1 innings, giving up 10 hits, and eight earned runs. His ERA went up to 7.04.
Elizabethton got the scoring started early by scoring one in the first. The Cardinals were shut out until the bottom of the fourth when they put two on the board after a Dariel Gomez RBI triple and an RBI single from Kevin Woodall.
Elizabethton added four more runs in the fourth and three runs in the fifth to make it 12-2. Johnson City did not go away as they put four on the board in the bottom of the seventh to bring the score to 12-6. Donivan Williams led off with a walk, Brandon Riley and Nolan Gorman followed with walks and then Leandro Cedeno reached on a fielding error by shortstop Ricky De La Torre, that allowed Williams to score. Dariel Gomez then singled to right field and Riley scored. Sanel Rosendo pinch hit for Kevin Woodall and was hit by a pitch and that scored Gorman. Finally Zach Jackson hit a single to bring in a run and cut the lead to 12-6. 
The Twins answered with one in the eighth to make it 13-6, but Johnson City stormed back with two of their own to make it 13-8. After Luis Flores walked, Michael Perri singled. Nolan Gorman then singled and Flores scored. Leandro Cedeno singled to load the bases, and Dariel Gomez hit into a fielder's choice that allowed Perri to score from third.
Johnson City used three relievers, Enrique Perez, who went 1.2 innings, giving up three hits, three earned runs, and one strikeout. Parker Kelly then entered and pitched two innings, while surrendering only two hits and getting three strikeouts. Evan Sisk, the final pitcher used went two innings, giving up two hits, one earned run, but had four strikeouts.
Johnson City saved more runs for the ninth. With one out, Jonatan Machado, Luis Flores and Carlos Soto worked walks. With the bases loaded, Brandon Riley hit a sac fly, that was dropped by left fielder, Albee Weiss, which allowed Machado and Flores to score. That is where the scoring would end, and the Cardinals would fall 13-10.
The Cardinals finished their seven game homestand 2-5, and suffered a four-game sweep by Elizabethton. Saturday begins a series at Burlington where the Cardinals look to bounce back. They return home to TVA Credit Union Ballpark on Wednesday to play Bluefield after an off day on Tuesday.
The full schedule for the season and information regarding tickets, and promotion days can be found at jccardinals.com or by calling the Cardinals Office at (423) 461- 4866.