GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – It was not a paradise in Pioneer Park for the Greeneville Flyboys on Saturday night, as they dropped their third straight game, falling to the Johnson City Doughboys by a 6-1 decision.
Shemar Dalton (North Carolina A&T) had a chance to put the Flyboys on the board in the bottom of the second inning with a one-out double. However, Jacob Bockenstedt (SIU-Edwardsville) used a pick-off move to catch Dalton between second and third.
Tyler Blankenship (Yuba College) walked three straight Doughboy batters to start the third inning, with Michael Moss (Seton Hall) scoring off a wild pitch to give Johnson City a 1-0 lead. Isaiah Frost (Missouri) opened the scoring for the Doughboys with a two-RBI double, swelling the lead to 3-0. The Doughboy bulge increased to 4-0 in the inning after Frost scored following a Graham Breite (St. Charles CC) balk.
After a passed ball and another walk to load the bases by Breite in the top of the fourth, Matt Miceli (Stony Brook) drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home Justin Greene (Louisiana-Lafayette). That pushed the Johnson City lead to 5-0.
Greeneville (3-7) finally found some offense in the bottom of the fifth. Josh Cuniff (St. Charles CC) recorded his first hit of the season, scoring Will Brown (Florida A&M) on an RBI single to cut the lead to 5-1 in favor of the Doughboys.
Johnson City added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning, drawing four walks in the inning from Ryan Sweeney (Ventura College), including one with the bases loaded to score Cole Tremain (Vista Del Lago) and give the Doughboys a 6-1 lead.
Johnson City (2-8) loaded the bases in both the seventh and eighth innings, but Shane Tucker (Long Island) struck out a pair of batters to end the threats and keep Greeneville within striking distance.
Beau Ankeney (Grand Canyon) drew a walk and Dalton recorded an infield single in the bottom of the ninth, but the Flyboys could not score, dropping their second straight to Johnson City and their third straight game overall.
Bockenstedt earns the win, going five innings, allowing five hits, one run, and striking out eight. Landon Crumbley (Walters State CC) went two innings in relief, allowing one hit and striking out two. William Westbrock (Caldwell Tech CC) went an inning in relief, walking one and striking out a pair. Tremain closed out the game on the mound, allowing a hit, walking one batter, and striking out another in the ninth inning.
Blankenship (0-1) was handed the loss, going two innings, giving up four runs off one hit, walking three and striking out two. Breite went two innings, giving up one run off two hits, walking three and striking out a pair. Carson Jacobs (Gateway CC) went two innings in relief, allowing one hit and striking out three. Sweeney lasted just 0.2 of an inning, allowing one run and walking four batters. In his debut for the Flyboys,
Tucker went 1.2 innings, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out three. Finnegan Wall (UC Irvine) also made his debut in Greeneville, allowing a walk in an inning of work.
The Flyboys will have an off day before opening a two-game series at Pioneer Park against the Bristol State Liners on Monday, June 13 at 7:00 p.m. It’s Dollar Monday with select items such as hot dogs, chips, and Coke products available for just one dollar at the concession stand. Fans can purchase tickets online at flyboysbaseball.com.
