GREEN RIVER — The Green River Knights snapped a seven-game losing streak Monday with a convincing victory in the opener before settling for a doubleheader split against the Cheyenne Eagles at Stratton Myers Park.
Green River rolled to a 10-2 victory in the first game before Cheyenne answered with a 4-2 win in the nightcap.
The split moved the Knights to 8-12 on the season.
After enduring a difficult stretch over the past several weeks, Green River came out aggressively in the opener.
The Knights scored three runs in the first inning when Landon Smart and Corwin Paoli delivered RBI doubles before Korbin Nielson added a run-scoring single. Green River extended the lead in the third, scoring four more runs behind a two-run hit from Paoli, an RBI walk by J.D. Bingham and an RBI single from Manuel Munoz.
The early offense was more than enough for starter Brylan Ginestar, who worked five innings and allowed two runs, one earned, while striking out five without issuing a walk.
Green River’s offense was balanced throughout the lineup. Smart, Nielson and Paoli each collected two hits, while Paoli and Sam Dockter drove in three runs apiece.
The victory was the Knights’ first since May 19 and ended a seven-game skid.
Cheyenne responded in the second game, using timely hitting and taking advantage of a Green River error to earn a split.
The Knights grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the second inning when Manuel Munoz drove in a run on a groundout and Ginestar followed with an RBI single.
Cheyenne answered in the third inning, tying the game on a walk by Wyatt Elder and an RBI single from Carter Perkins. The Eagles took the lead for good in the fourth when a run scored on a Green River error.
Aiden Mandros delivered a strong relief outing for the Knights, allowing two runs, one earned, over four and one-third innings while striking out six and walking none. Draiven Houchin started and struck out three in two and two-thirds innings.
Munoz and Ginestar each drove in a run for Green River.
Cheyenne starter Liam Esp went the distance, allowing two runs on six hits over seven innings. Perkins, Braxton Neal and Colton Carpenter each recorded two hits for the Eagles, while Brayden Palmer, Elder, Perkins and Carpenter all drove in runs.
While the Knights were unable to complete the sweep, the opening-game victory provided a positive step forward after a difficult stretch and gave Green River its first win in nearly three weeks.
