Ridge Runners sweep rival WhistlePigs in Feud finale
Aug. 3—BLUEFIELD — The Princeton WhistlePigs may have officially won it's first "Feud" with the Bluefield Ridge Runners, but its Mercer County rival managed to take some starch out of Princeton's scramble to overtake the Pulaski River Turtles in the Appalachian East Division race before time runs out.
On Monday night at Bowen Field the Ridge Runners shut out Princeton for the second game in a row, 4-0, wrapping up its final home games of the 2021 Appalachian League season with a two-game sweep of its arch rival.
Princeton (27-22) helped itself with a pair of wins at Pulaski prior to the resumption and conclusion of "The Feud" only to go two consecutive days without scoring a run. Princeton won the first five games of the rivals series. Bluefield's win streak began with a 24-3 win last Thursday.
The Ridge Runners beat the WhistlePigs 7-0 on Sunday. Starter Nathan Ackenhausen (2-2) collected that victory, giving Bluefield five shutout innings while allowing two hits, striking out five and walking one.
On Monday, Bluefield (26-24) got four runs off six hits and committed three errors, none of which did much to hurt their cause .
Ridge Runners starting pitcher Janniel Berroa (1-2) got Monday's win after five-plus innings' work. He allowed no runs off two hits, striking out three and walking two.
Princeton's Beau Blanchard (3-3) went six innings, allowing three earned runs off six hits, striking out six and walking none.
Princeton got no runs off four hits and committed no errors. Brady Day had the WhistlePigs' lone extra base hit. Nathan Holt reached base twice on an infield single and an error, respectively. Kevin Keister had a hit and Cameron Uselton reached twice on a walk and a single.
The Ridge Runners' offensive hoss was first baseman Joshuan Sandoval, who went 2-for-3 on the night with a double, a home run and three RBIs and two runs scored.
Both teams will take tonight off and return to action on Wednesday. Princeton will play a two-game road series at Danville, returning to Hunnicutt Field on Friday and Saturday to wrap up the regular season versus the Burlington Sock Puppets. Bluefield will be in Bristol Wednesday and Thursday and could yet do the WhistlePigs a grudging favor if it manages to win its season-ending set with Pulaski on Friday and Saturday.
