PULASKI, Va. – With the score tied at six runs apiece entering the ninth inning, big hits from Brock Daniels (Missouri) and David Bishop (TCU) along with shutdown pitching from Jack Liberio Jr. (RCSJ-Cumberlands) gave the Greeneville Flyboys the 8-7 win over Pulaski on Wednesday.
The scoring started early for the Flyboys as an Aidan Cannaday (Catawba Valley CC) double scored Will Taylor (Clemson) in the top of the first to give Greeneville (8-11) the early 1-0 lead.
Pulaski answered in the bottom of the third inning with an RBI single by Christian Smith (Vanderbilt), scoring Romeo Ballesteros to tie the game.
Greeneville used another big inning at Calfee Park, this time recording four straight hits in the top of the fourth frame. Beau Ankeney (Grand Canyon) started the scoring with an RBI double scoring Cannaday, giving the Flyboys a 2-1 lead. Canyon Brown (NC A&T) brought Ankeney home in the next at-bat to push the lead to 3-1. Cian Sahler (Fordham) singled to right field to bring home Brown and swell the lead to 4-1. The inning continued after Taylor reached on a throwing error and Sahler walked home to score and give Greeneville a 5-1 lead. Dub Gleed (UC Irvine) finished the scoring with an RBI single to score Taylor and jolt the Flyboy advantage to 6-1.
The River Turtles (8-11) began to chop into the Flyboys' lead, starting with an RBI single by Alec DeMartino (UNC Wilmington) scoring Ryan Moerman (Illinois) in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 6-2.
Michael Bolton Jr. (Purdue) went the distance with a two-run homer to right field, lowering the deficit to 6-4 in the bottom of the seventh.
The River Turtles completed the comeback, tying the ballgame at six runs apiece thanks to a two-run double by Moerman in the bottom of the eighth.
After recording just two hits in the last four innings, Daniels came through for the Flyboys in the top of the ninth with an RBI double to score Taylor from first base, giving Greeneville a 7-6 lead. Bishop swelled the advantage later in the frame, scoring Daniels on an RBI single and giving the Flyboys an 8-6 lead heading to the bottom of the ninth.
Smith led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a no-doubter home run to center field, making it an 8-7 ballgame. Staying calm and collected, Liberio Jr. came back with three straight strikeouts, ending the game and giving the Flyboys the sweep over Pulaski.
Taylor went 0-for-3 at the plate but drew a pair of walks and scored three runs in the win. Daniels went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored to pace Greeneville.
Liberio (1-0) earns the win, going 1 2/3 innings, giving up one run off two hits and striking out four batters. Finn Wall (UC Irvine) started the game for the Flyboys, going six innings, giving up two runs off seven hits, walking three and striking out six. Caleb Jones (Winthrop) went 1 1/3 innings out of the bullpen, giving up four runs off five hits and striking out a pair.
Bryan Pina (0-1) (Bethune-Cookman) was handed the loss, going one inning, giving up one run off one hit and walking one batter. Avery Mabe (Virginia) started the game for the River Turtles, going four innings, giving up six runs off eight hits, walking three and striking out three. Kobe Head (Texas Southern) kept Pulaski in the game, going three innings of scoreless work out of the pen, allowing one hit, walking one and striking out one. Nick Perez (Youngstown State) closed out the game for the River Turtles, giving up one run off two hits and striking out one in an inning of work.
The Flyboys will close out their six-game road trip with a trip to Kingsport to take on the division-leading Axemen on Thursday. First pitch from Hunter Wright Stadium is set for 7 p.m. Fans who cannot make the trip can tune into a radio broadcast at flyboysbaseball.com, beginning with a pregame show at 6:45 p.m.
