By Cade Haak
WHITE OAK, TX (June 28th, 2024) – The Rhinos took game one of two on the road behind their best offensive performance of the year. The game remained close through four innings, but the Rhinos took the lead in the fifth and were able to hold on to the lead from that point on.
The offensive onslaught the Rhinos provided in the game was foreshadowed by the very first at-bat of the evening. Gabriel Natividad got the game underway with a lead-off home run to start the game off on the right foot for Texarkana. The Rhinos next runs didn’t come until the top of the third, but these three runs put their lead at 4-0. The first run of the third inning was by Wyatt Cunningham, who scored when Ian Guanzon singled into left field and allowed Cunningham to score from second. Neil Jansen then got on base by hitting another single through a gap and into left field. Rylan Evans was then able to get himself an RBI when he reached on an error from the second baseman that allowed Guanzon to score for Texarkana. The third and final run of the inning was scored when Antonio Sabala hit a high fly ball into center field that forced the centerfielder to track backwards and resulted in a sacrifice fly that scored Neil Jansen.
With Texarkana up 4-0, the TimberHogs fought back in the home half of the third and took their first, and only, lead of the game. The Timberhogs scored five runs in the third; three of the runs came on a home run from Cermodrick Bland, which AJ Smith Jr. then directly followed up with a solo home run of his own.
With the TimberHogs now on top, the fourth inning was flat, as neither team was able to get a single hit as the pitchers regrouped on the mound. Following the slow fourth, the fifth inning presented action from Texarkana as they added runs to take back the league. Guanzon and Jansen both singled to set up the base path, with two runners on for Rylan Evans. Evans hit a ball hard on the left side of the field, which was enough to force an error by the third baseman. This error allowed both Guanzon and Jansen to score and Evans to advance all the way to third base. Evans was then brought in on the second sacrifice fly of the day from Antonio Sabala.
The top of the sixth then saw this newly established lead for Texarkana grow to new heights as they scored seven runs to take their total up to 14 on the game. All seven runs from the Rhinos in the sixth came from home runs, as the team made the inning look like a home run derby. The first long shot was good for three runs from Ian Guanzon. Sebastian Huerta then quickly matched this effort after two Rhinos quickly got on, and Huerta hit a three-run shot of his own. Kaden Smith then took his trip to the plate to face the new pitcher that was brought in to put a stop to the inning, but Smith hit his first home run of the year for a solo home run.
The next scoring action was from Piney Woods, who attempted to make one final push for a comeback as they scored six runs. The TimberHogs continued the trend of home runs as four of these six runs crossed home plate due to a grand slam from Kahne Nolen.
Following this six-run bottom of the seventh, the Rhinos were still on top 14-11, and they were able to score their 15th run to put a cherry on top in the final frame of the game. The run that scored was by Sota Suzuki, who was hit by a pitch, then stole his way into scoring position, which allowed a single from Gabriel Natividad to score him from second.
This win gave Brandon Cardenas his league-leading fourth win of the year as he continues to establish himself among the best arms in the Mid America League. Dalton Graham was also able to achieve his first save of the year as he pitched the final two innings of the game to close out the Rhinos win.
