Redbirds rout Johnston County

Published 10:30 am Monday, July 20, 2020

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AHOSKIE – Avery Harris and Dylan Duke combined to pitch a four-hitter and the Redbirds offense banged out a dozen hits as RC Twin Rivers routed Johnston County, 12-1, here Friday night in Independent Summer League action.

The win was the second straight, and four of their last five, by the Redbirds who improved to 7-10 overall.

As it turned out, RC Twin Rivers scored all the runs they would eventually need in their very first at-bat.

The Redbirds scored three times in the bottom of the first inning highlighted by RBI singles from Kevin Noon and Logan Early. Trent Hobbs accounted for the other run when he raced home on an error.

Parker Bradley’s RBI sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second accounted for another run as the home-standing Redbirds padded their lead to 4-0.

That advantage increased to 7-0 in the bottom of the third inning. There, Ty Johnson plated a pair of runs with his two-RBI single. Harris helped his own cause on the mound by adding an RBI single.

Johnson laced another two-RBI single in the bottom of the fourth frame where RC Twin Rivers scored five times to take a commanding 12-0 lead. Noon added an RBI triple in that inning and then scored on a balk. Hobbs sent a runner home thanks to his RBI single.

Johnston County scored its only run of the game in the top of the fifth inning.

Harris pitched four shutout innings to notch the pitching win. He allowed only one hit and fanned four. Duke closed out the game on the mound.

Johnson, Bradley, Noon, and Tyrek Beverly each had two hits to lead the RC Twin Rivers offense.

The Redbirds will open the Independent Summer League play-offs at home on Saturday, July 25 when they host Wilson in a 7 pm game at Hertford County High School. Win or lose, the Redbirds will advance to compete in the remainder of the post-season event that will be held July 27-30 at the Eastern Carolina Athletic Park in Goldsboro. The tournament is double elimination.