JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The Bristol State Liners rallied from an early deficit and exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to beat the Pulaski River Turtles, 13-7, on Friday night. With the win, your State Liners improve to 4-3 and remain atop the Appalachian League West.
Patrick Gillen and Jaxon Walker both launched two-run homers early to keep Bristol in the game after Pulaski jumped out to a 6-2 lead. Walker added a third RBI later, while Cole Young, Elijah Alexander and Chris Patterson each tallied multiple hits or RBIs in the late-game offense.
Starter Ty Barnett kept the Liners within striking distance, recording seven strikeouts over five strong innings. Collin Dennis followed with a clutch relief outing, striking out three over two shutout innings to hold the lead. Matthew Bienvenu closed out the ninth with a high-velocity performance, including a strikeout topping 91 mph.
The seventh inning saw the State Liners load the bases and take full advantage, with six different players driving in runs. Patterson’s two-run triple capped the onslaught, and the Liners tallied a full bat around in the inning.
Bristol returns to the field tomorrow against Pulaski for Game 2, looking to extend the winning streak and stay on top of the division.
