Twins at Danville - Appy League Series - Game Two Blog

Welcome to my blog of the second game of the Appalachian League Championship Series between the Elizabethton Twins and the Danville Braves at the Dan Daniel Memorial Park in Danville, Virginia.

The Twins lead the series 1-0 with an opportunity to take the title tonight.

FIRST INNING

LHP Jeff Locke on the mound for Danville.

Twins: Estarlin De Los Santos walks, Rene Tosoni strikes out, Deibinson Romero grounds into a double play.

RHP Michael McCardell on the mound for Elizabethton.

Braves: Cole Miles grounds out, Benji Johnson strikes out, Cody Johnson walks, Josh Morris flies out to left.

Score: 0-0

SECOND INNING

Twins: Rene Leveret strikes out, Ozzie Lewis strikes out, Greg Yersich walks, Wesley Connor pops out to center.

Braves: Adam Coe strkes out, Steve Shults singles to left, Chad Lundahl delivers a sacrificed bunt, C.J. Lee sends a hard hit ball to Mark Dolenc in center.

Score: 0-0

THIRD INNING

Twins: Mark Dolenc strikes out, Eric Santiago reaches on an error and is caught stealing at second, Estarlin De Los Santos strikes out but reaches on a wild pitch, Rene Tosoni strikes out. Through three, Locke has struck out six Twins batters.

Braves: Eliazar Carmona leads off with a single to center, Miles strikes out, B. Johnson flies out to left, C. Johnson doubles to put two runners in scoring position for the Braves.

Jim Shellenback walks out to the mound to speak with McCardell. Morris strikes out on Danville's best scoring opportunity thus far in the series.

Score: 0-0

FOURTH INNING

Twins: Romero leads off with a double, Leveret singles to move Romero to third. Now the Player of the Year, who is struggling, gets an opportunity. Lewis delivers a sacrificed fly to right, scoring Romero. 1-0 Elizabethton.

Yersich and Connor follow with singles to load the bases for Mark Dolenc. Danvlle pitching coach Jim Czajkowski makes a visit to the mound. Dolenc bounces one to third, Leveret is thrown out at the plate

Locke walks Santiago, Yersich crosses the plate and Braves manager Paul Runge pulls the plug on the All-Star (Locke) for Edgar Osuna. Connor crosses the plate as De Los Santos walks. 3-0 Elizabethton.

Last night's hero, Tosoni, strikes out for the third time on the night to get Danville out of the inning. The game is Elizabethton's to lose.

Braves: Coe doubles when three Twins stand around and let a pop drop just inside of the line in right field. Shults strikes out, Lundahl grounds out to third, Lee grounds one to Leveret at first.

Score: 3-0 Twins

FIFTH INNING

Twins: Romero flies out to right, Leveret strikes out, Lewis grounds out.

Braves: Carmona leads off with a double to right with the top of Danville's order behind him. Miles pops up to second. B. Johnson strikes out. Appy League home run king Cody Johnson strikes out.

Score: 3-0 Twins

SIXTH INNING

Twins: Greg Yersich opens with a single. With two outs on the board (Connor, Dolenc), Santiago singles to right and an errant throw from right field clears the plate for Yersich. 4-0 Elizabethton. De Los Santos grounds out to end the stanza.

Braves: Morris grounds out, Coe pops out to center, Shults is struck by a pitch, Lundahl grounds out.

Score: 4-0 Twins

SEVENTH INNING

Twins: Tosoni walks, Romero singles to left, Leveret grounds into a 6-4-3 double play. A balk is called on Osuna with Lewis at the plate, scoring Tosoni. 5-0 Elizabethton. Lewis lines out. That may have done it for Danville.

Spencer Steedley pitching for Twins.

Braves: Lee leads off with a double, Carmona strikes out on a wild pitch and is thrown out at first. A wild throw from Leveret towards third allows Lee to sprint towards home. Romero hits Yersich with a throw and Yersich tags Lee, but he is safe. Twins manager Ray Smith disputes the call, but the run stands.

When the dust settles, Miles strikes out and B. Johnson grounds out to second.

Score: 5-1 Twins

EIGHTH INNING

Twins: Yersich strikes out, Connor singles to center, Dolenc singles to right. Paul Runge pulls the plug on Osuna for southpaw Tommy Palica, whose father Wayne played for the E-Twins in 1979 and 1980.

Santiago pops out to second, De Los Santos strikes out.

If the Braves are going to do make their charge they have to do it this frame.

Braves: Steedley plucks C. Johnson, Morris grounds into a 6-4-3 double play. Coe grounds out and Elizabethton is one inning away from their fourth Appy League crown in eight years.

Score: 5-1 Twins

Barring a miracle on Danville's behalf, the Twins win. I have to prepare for postgame activities so I will end my running log at this time. Be sure to pick up Sunday's Star for the full wrap on the Appy League series.