Braves Fall to Johnson City in Explosive Game

 
DANVILLE, Va. - The Danville Braves dropped a wild Saturday night contest against the Johnson City Cardinals, 14-9.
In Danville's longest game of the season, both teams had their highs and lows, putting up impressive offensive numbers but struggling in the field. Both squads had four errors, leading to just 14 of the 23 runs scored being earned runs. Danville produced its highest hit total of the season with 15, but ultimately came up short.
After the first game of the series on Friday featured just three runs total, the D-Braves eclipsed that total by the end of the third inning. The scoring started in the second inning, with Juan Morales smacking a two-run single to drive in Bryce Ball and Mitch Calandra. Danville added to its lead in the following inning on Bryce Ball's second home run of the season, a two-out, two-run shot that made it 4-0 D-Braves.
After a Mitch Calandra strikeout to lead off the fourth inning, Nick Vizcaino doubled to threaten Johnson City again. Juan Morales grounded out, advancing Vizcaino to third. With two outs, Jose Palma doubled to right to drive in Vizcaino and then advanced to third on a fielding error. Cody Milligan knocked in Palma with a single, then Michael Mateja scored Milligan on a double to the left field corner. Brandon Parker made it 8-0 Danville with an RBI single to score Mateja and give the D-Braves their biggest lead yet of the season.
It didn't take the Cardinals long to answer, as the Cardinals picked up five runs in the fifth inning to narrow the deficit to three. The D-Braves tacked on another run in the sixth with Mateja scoring on a wild pitch and throwing error to make it 9-5.
Unfortunately for the home side, it was all Johnson City from that point on. Mateo Gil hit an RBI single in the top of the eighth and Zach Jackson came up with a three-run home run to knot things up at 9 apiece. After Danville couldn't produce any runs in the bottom of the frame, the Cardinals picked up where they left off in a five-run ninth inning to make it a 14-9 final score.
Though the final score didn't go the way of Danville, pitcher Tanner Gordon impressed in his pro debut. Pitching the seventh inning, Gordon struck out all three of the batters he faced on just 10 pitches.
The D-Braves and Cardinals will play the rubber match of the series Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m.