K-Mets rally sinks Elizabethton

from staff reports

   A solid pitching performance from an Elizabethton Twins starter was wasted on Friday night at Joe O'Brien Field when the bullpen was unable to hold on to a 2-2 contest.
   Ultimately, Kingsport rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth to upend 'Betsy 5-2.
   Dusty Gomon ripped his eighth homer of the season in the last of the sixth to tie the game at 2-2, after the K-Mets had taken the lead in the fifth off a two-run homer by Roberto Solano.
   Nick Blackburn (1-2, 4.47) was the hard-luck loser, having surrendered just two runs on five scattered hits in his seven innings on the mound for 'Betsy.
   Blackburn struck out five and walked two before giving way to lefty Nick Niedbalski in the eighth.
   Niedbalski (0-1, 9.00) took the loss when he gave up three runs in the ninth on a three-run jack off the bat of Williams Garcia, who hit his second homer of the series and his only two of the season to lift the Mets.
   'Betsy outhit the visitors 9-7, but left 11 runners on base that caused Twins hitting instructor Jeff Reed to comment: "We just didn't get that key hit when we got guys on base. Overall it was a well-played game, but we just left too many men on base."
   Niedbalski only gave up two base hits, but it was Garcia's blast that was his undoing, as it scored Yyulush Soto, who had singled and Yunir Garcia who walked.
   In the Twins ninth, Gomon stepped to the plate with a chance to tie the contest as 'Betsy had put two men aboard, but Mets closer Jayson Weir was up to the task, striking Gomon out on a 3-2 pitch to end the game.
   For the Twins, CF Trent Oeltjen went 4-for-5 at the dish to raise his average from .265 to .333 with his fine night.
   E-Twins notes: Gomon, with his 2-for-5 night, raised his average to .350, and stands second to Bluefield's Tommy Arko (9) with eight round-trips. Gomon also has 26 RBI on the season as well.