JOHNSON CITY Tenn. — The Flyboys soared to victory Wednesday, topping Johnson City, 10-5, to even the season series at 1-1.
Greeneville got on the board first thanks to two defensive miscues by second baseman Kenyon Hughes Jr., opening the scoring at 2-0 after center fielder Bryan Williams Jr. and first baseman Levi Pinder crossed home plate.
Williams Jr. reached base yet again after hitting a single into center field. Moments later, a throwing error advanced Williams all the way to third, and he scored on the next pitch after catcher Matt Cash’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0 Flyboys.
The Doughboys didn’t get their offense going until the bottom of the third, when Greeneville pitcher Jaden Hill allowed Doughboys catcher Zach Porter to tie the game with a three-run homer after center fielder Eli Thurmond and right fielder Brennon Siegler reached base, knotting the game at three runs apiece.
Hill then walked Hughes, and in the very next at-bat, shortstop Gunnar Skelton smashed a two-run homer to give Johnson City a 5-3 lead.
But the Flyboys were not done scoring runs. Williams recorded his third hit of the night- a stand-up double that scored Matthew Kerrigan after Kerrigan singled to center field, cutting the deficit to 5-4.
Bradley Coulter came in for Greeneville and proceeded to shut down the Doughboys’ potent offense for two innings. Coulter did not allow a hit while striking out three.
Meanwhile, in the top of the sixth, Greeneville’s offense exploded after Ricky O’Dette entered for Johnson City.
O’Dette immediately gave up a double to Nolan Behm. Second baseman Deacon Nelson then singled up the middle to score Behm and tie the game at 5-5.
Shortstop Carson Ray followed with a line-drive single to right field, scoring Nelson and giving Greeneville a 6-5 lead.
Kerrigan then reached with another outfield single, and just when the Doughboys thought they were out of the inning, Bryan Williams Jr. launched a three-run moonshot off O’Dette to extend Greeneville’s lead to 9-5.
Greeneville shut down Johnson City’s offense for the remainder of the game and added one more run in the top of the seventh when Jacob Gomberg walked designated hitter Evan Williams with the bases loaded to make it 10-5.
Greeneville secured the win and improved to 5-6, moving into a three-way tie with Johnson City and Elizabethton. The Flyboys now technically hold first place over Elizabethton thanks to their two road wins earlier in the season.
Up Next:
Greeneville will take on Johnson City once more Saturday at Eastman Credit Union Field for Military Appreciation Night as the teams wrap up their three-game series.
After that, the Flyboys will host the Danville Otterbots for a three-game homestand from June 19-21.
Tickets are available at flyboysbaseball.com or by calling 423-609-7400. Follow @gflyboys on Facebook, Instagram and X for updates and weather information.
