Charleston Riverdogs split doubleheader against Waterloo, Illinois

Charleston Riverdogs manager Paul Sander could be heard clearly from the third-base dugout at Saxony Lutheran High School.

Throughout Game 2 of the Riverdogs' doubleheader against the visiting Waterloo, Illinois, Millers on Saturday afternoon, Sander hollered encouragements out to the mound for pitcher Brad Potts.

"It's yours. You smell it. Bring it home," Sander yelled after the leadoff batter reached on an error in the top of the seventh of a one-run game.

Potts polished off the next three batters to cap his dominant performance in a 1-0 Riverdogs' victory to salvage a doubleheader split. The Millers won Game 1 in a 7-2 decision.

"Their pitcher was fantastic, and ours was just a little better," Sander said.

Riverdogs coach Paul Sander talks with catcher Josh Morse and pitcher Jason Mattison during the first inning against Waterloo in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday, June 18, 2016 at Saxony Lutheran High School.Fred Lynch

Potts allowed just three hits in the contest, struck out five and issued just one walk to the first batter of the game. Charleston only had four hits in the contest off starter Austin Nunney.

The Millers advanced a runner to second in the first two innings, but Potts stranded them both times.

He allowed a leadoff single in the third but coaxed the next two batters into fly outs before picking off the runner to end the frame.

Waterloo's Corey Chambliss had the only extra-base hit of the contest with a one-out double in the fourth, but the game remained scoreless after a line out and a groundout. A leadoff error on a throw to first in the final inning was the only other batter to reach.

"His command of the strike zone has become very, very good," Sander said, noting that his changeup, cutter, fastball and curveball are all working well. "... I think his knowledge of the strike zone, his command of all the pitches in the strike zone -- when you're all around it 0-1, 0-2, 2-2 all the time and you don't run counts to 3-2 and give them a chance to square it up, [it helps]. He just did that all day long.

The Riverdogs Blake Gaddis singles in a run against Waterloo during the first inning in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday, June 18, 2016 at Saxony Lutheran High School.Fred Lynch

"He has good rhythm. He gets the ball and throws it again. Can't say enough good things about him the last three starts."

Potts has now won his last three starts, allowing just a two-run home run in each of the previous two.

"Potts was just dominant," Sander said. "That's three games in a row he's been dominant. He carried us."

With runs at a premium against Waterloo, Sander made a decision he normally wouldn't have in the bottom of the fifth.

Jared Walker reached on a one-out base hit to right and took second when a pickoff throw by the catcher got past the first baseman.

Riverdogs second baseman Spencer Sander throws to first base after Waterloo's Corey Chambliss is forced out during the fifth inning in the first game of a doubleheader Saturday, June 18, 2016 at Saxony Lutheran High School.Fred Lynch

Chase Young sent a ball toward the shortstop, who booted it into shallow center, and Sander sent Walker home. The throw was in time but short-hopped the catcher and ricocheted high, allowing Walker to score the winning run.

"We battled at the plate, and maybe tomorrow we'll hit the ball better. But we kind of feel like we snuck out of here and stole that game without hitting much, and it was all because of the dominant pitching," Sander said.

The Millers were in control of the first game from the get-go. They scored five runs in the first two innings with three of those runs scoring on either a wild pitch or a passed ball.

After giving up a run in the top of the first, Charleston evened it up in the home half on an RBI single by Blake Gaddis. The Riverdogs, who scattered seven hits, tacked on a run in the sixth after Waterloo was already up 7-1.

Young went 2-for-2 with a walk. No other Charleston player had more than one hit.

"I thought that we were a little flat the first game," Sander said. "No. 1, I thought their pitching was very good in both games. Runs were hard to come by. The first one they kind of took control early, and we never really got in it very much as far as offensively."

The Riverdogs improve to 5-5 in the Montclair League and 7-5 overall. They face the St. Louis Printers in a road doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m. today.

"We're very happy with where we're at," Sander said. "Sure, we'd like to win every game, but I'm not sure that's realistic for a first-year team in this league."

GAME 1: Waterloo 7, Charleston 2

Waterloo 140 020 0 -- 7 8 0

Charleston 100 001 0 -- 2 7 1

WP -- Nick Hummel. LP -- Jason Mattison. 3B -- Alex Wittenaur (W). Multiple hits -- Waterloo: Tyler McAlister 2-4, Kenny Wilson 2-4, Corey Chambliss 2-4, Wittenaur 2-4; Charleston: Chase Young 2-2.

GAME 2: Charleston 1, Waterloo 0

Waterloo 000 000 0 -- 0 3 3

Charleston 000 010 x -- 1 4 1

WP -- Brad Potts. LP -- Austin Nunney. 2B -- Chambliss (W).