BURLINGTON, N.C. – The Greeneville Flyboys returned to first place in the Appalachian League West on Friday, defeating the Burlington Sock Puppets, 17-5. The Flyboys (18-12) took advantage of 18 walks and five Burlington errors, as the Sock Puppets (18-14) struggled with pitching and defense.
Greeneville took an 8-0 lead in the third inning, sending 13 batters to the plate to open up an early advantage. Third baseman Cameron Kim (1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI) hit a three-run home run, center fielder Reid Haire (1-for-3, 5 RBI, 4 BB) clobbered his second bases-loaded double of the season and first baseman Ezra McNaughton (2-for-3, 2 RBI, 3 R) continued his strong run of form, adding an RBI double to extend the Flyboys’ early lead.
McNaughton was the only Flyboys batter with multiple hits in Friday’s game. Burlington matched Greeneville with seven hits, but the Sock Puppets surrendered a season-high 18 walks, four hit-by-pitches, threw three wild pitches, surrendered two passed balls and committed five errors. The Flyboys took advantage of the extra opportunities, scoring multiple runs in four separate innings.
Lefty Kyle Bade (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K) set the tone on the mound, keeping one of the league’s most potent offenses at bay. The Flyboys allowed four unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but responded by scoring seven runs in the next three frames to keep the Sock Puppets at bay. Right-hander Jace Smith (3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) provided multiple innings of relief, while reliever Keenan Mork (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K) retired the side in order to end the game.
Next up
The Flyboys conclude their road trip in Burlington at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. They will return home to host second-place Kingsport (1 GB) in a two-game series beginning Tuesday. Fans can purchase tickets at flyboysbaseball.com or by calling the Flyboys ticket office at (423) 609-7400. In the event of inclement weather, please stay tuned to @GFlyBoys on Facebook, Instagram and X for updates.
