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AHOSKIE – Baseball is back!

The Independent Summer League (ages 15-19) opened play here Sunday afternoon where the home-standing RC Twin Rivers Redbirds dropped a doubleheader to Wayne County by scores of 4-1 and 12-11 at the Ahoskie Creek Recreational Complex.

The nine-team independent league was formed following the cancelation of the American Legion Baseball season due to concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic. All nine teams are located in central and eastern North Carolina.

GAME #1

After a scoreless opening three innings, Wayne County scored what proved to be all the runs they would need in the top of the fourth inning where the visitors plated a pair of markers.

Wayne County added two more runs in the top of the sixth to extend their lead to 4-0.

RC Twin Rivers tallied their lone run of the game in the home half of the sixth. There, Alden Lassiter laced a double and advanced to third base on a Trent Hobbs groundout. Lassiter scored on an RBI groundout by Parker Bradley.

Logan Earley started on the mound for the Redbirds, working three innings. Bryce Stevens hurled the next three innings and was charged with the loss. Hobbs came on and pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

RC Twin Rivers collected three hits – one each by Stevens, Lassiter, and Kevin Noon.

GAME #2

Despite facing an early six-run deficit, RC Twin Rivers got their bats going in the second game of the doubleheader, but still came up short in a 12-11 loss.

Trailing 6-0, the Redbirds got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning where Hobbs plated a pair of runs with his two-RBI double.

Wayne County answered with five runs in the top of the third to grab an 11-2 lead, but the Redbirds refused to fold.

RC Twin Rivers scored eight times in the bottom of the fourth frame to trim their deficit to 11-10. There, Stevens and Lassiter had the key hits, each driving in two runs thanks to a single and double respectively. Bradley and Earley each plated a run with their RBI singles. Bradley later scored on a wild pitch and Hobbs plated the final run with his RBI sacrifice fly.

Both teams scored a run in the fifth inning. Stevens lined an RBI double to account for the Redbirds run.

The game was called due to darkness at the end of the fifth inning, giving Wayne County the narrow 12-11 win.

RC Twin Rivers banged out nine hits in game two, led by two hits each from Hobbs, Stevens, and Anthony Lancaster.

The Redbirds used three pitchers: Lassiter, Trent James, and Lancaster.

RC Twin Rivers will host Wayne County again on Saturday, June 20, in a doubleheader. The Redbirds will host Martin-Riverside in a single game on Sunday, June 21.