GREEN RIVER — The Green River Knights closed the Boise Fourth of July Tournament with a 19-4 win over the Fruitland Grizzlies on Saturday, salvaging a 1-3 weekend after opening the tournament with three consecutive losses against strong Idaho competition.
Green River opened tournament play with a competitive 10-7 loss to the Columbia Wildcats.
The Knights struck first with three runs in the opening inning as Landon Smart delivered a two-run single and Sam Dockter added an RBI groundout. Green River reclaimed the lead in the third on an RBI single by Aiden Mandros before tying the game again in the fourth on Manuel Munoz’s RBI single.
However, Columbia answered each rally, collecting 13 hits while taking advantage of several Green River errors to pull away late.
Smart paced the Knights by going 3-for-3 at the plate, while Munoz, Mandros, Smart, Davy Puckett and Dockter each drove in a run. The Knights also remained aggressive on the basepaths, stealing eight bases.
The second game proved more challenging as Rocky Mountain 18U scored nine runs in the opening inning on its way to a 12-0 victory.
The early outburst put Green River in a hole it could not escape. Korbin Nielson, Oliver Akin and Corwin Paoli recorded the Knights’ only hits, while Rocky Mountain finished with 12 hits and played error-free baseball.
Green River continued to face stiff competition Saturday morning, falling 10-0 to Idaho Show 17U.
Idaho Show scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back, holding the Knights hitless behind a dominant pitching performance. The Idaho squad capitalized on six walks and timely hitting while Green River was unable to generate any offensive momentum.
The Knights responded emphatically in the tournament finale.
Trailing 4-0 after the first inning, Green River erupted for 19 unanswered runs to defeat the Fruitland Grizzlies 19-4 in one of its most complete offensive performances of the season.
Manuel Munoz led the charge, driving in five runs while going 3-for-5. He singled home a run in the second inning before adding a pair of two-run hits later in the game.
Green River tied the game with four runs in the second inning before taking control with four more in the third. The Knights then put the game away by scoring nine runs in the sixth inning, collecting nine hits during the frame.
The offense piled up 20 hits, with Munoz and Brylan Ginestar each collecting three. Korbin Nielson, Landon Smart, Travin Brown, Oliver Akin and Corwin Paoli all added multiple-hit games.
The Knights were equally aggressive on the bases, stealing 18 bases during the contest.
Aiden Mandros earned the win after allowing four runs over five innings while striking out six. Draiven Houchin closed the game with a scoreless inning of relief.
Despite finishing the tournament with a 1-3 record, Green River showed resilience by closing the weekend with its highest-scoring game of the summer. The Knights totaled 26 runs in their four games, including 19 in the finale, and continued to display the aggressive baserunning that has become one of their trademarks this season.
