By Cade Haak
TEXARKANA, Texas (June 30th, 2024) – The Texarkana Rhinos were able to keep the game within reach through six innings, but the TimberHogs dominated from the seventh inning on to win 14-8.
The game began with Mason Sellers on the mound, making his seventh start for the Rhinos, and Taven Hathaway making his second start of the series. Mason Sellers got off to a shaky start in the top of the first as he allowed five runs to the TimberHogs, three of which came as he walked the TimberHogs on with the bases loaded. Despite the rough start, Sellers then found rhythm as he pitched the next four innings without allowing another run.
In response to the five runs at the top of the first, the Rhinos chipped away at the TimberHogs lead. The first run for the Rhinos, scored by Gabriel Natividad, was driven in by the team’s RBI leader, Neil Jansen, on a single into centerfield in the bottom of the first. Next, in the bottom of the second inning, Texarkana added three more runs to cut the TimberHogs lead down to just one. All three of the runs were scored when Rylan Evans sent a ball into right centerfield, which gave the TimberHogs outfielders trouble as they tried to throw the ball back into the infield. This throwing error allowed Evans to turn his standup double into an inside-the-park home run.
Entering the bottom of the fourth inning, the score remained at 5-4, with the TimberHogs still in front due to their big first inning. But it was in this fourth inning that Texarkana took their first lead of the game as Sota Suzuki was walked, then scored on an error by the shortstop as he threw the ball away while trying to throw out Natividad at first. Then, with the game tied at five runs each, Natividad, who had reached safely on the wild throw, broke the tie by scoring on a single from Rylan Evans, who got his third RBI of the game.
Bryce Nall then came into the game as relief for Taven Hathaway and had much success in doing so as he shut down the Rhinos bats and allowed no runs in his four innings pitched. During this scoring drought, the TimberHogs took advantage of the opportunity and scored nine unanswered runs prior to heading into the bottom of the ninth inning with their lead towering at eight runs.
In the last half inning of the game, the Texarkana Rhinos did their best to create a comeback, but ultimately fell short as they were only able to score two runs in the final frame. The Rhinos started off the ninth inning on the right foot when Rylan Evans hit a single, and then Neil Jansen hit a double to the base of the outfield wall to move Evans to third. Neil Jansen then hit, then flew out to deep center field for a sacrifice fly that scored Rylan Evans. Neil Jansen was then driven home to score the final run of the game when Matt Beuka hit a single that hopped off the mound and into center field for a single.
The loss of the game was attributed to Dalton Graham for the Rhinos, while Bryce Nall’s great four innings were enough to earn the victory for the visiting TimberHogs.
