ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. – The Greeneville Flyboys found themselves on the wrong end of a pitcher’s duel Wednesday night, falling to the Elizabethton River Riders, 1-0. Both starting pitchers were phenomenal in the low-scoring affair.
The River Riders (3-9) got a dominant outing from right-hander Donte Lewis (4 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K), who sat in the mid-90s with his fastball throughout the early innings. Kyle Bade (5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, BB, 7 K) was equally impressive for the Flyboys (6-4) and, although Greeneville’s offense fell short, he and relievers JD Hay (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB) and Braxton Lewis (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K) held the River Riders scoreless through the first seven frames. Hay got a timely double-play ball to escape a two-on, one-out jam in the sixth inning, while Lewis retired the side in order in the seventh.
The Flyboys’ offensive struggles with runners in scoring position continued Wednesday. After going 1-for-12 in such scoring chances Tuesday, Greeneville went hitless with runners in scoring position Wednesday. The Flyboys left 11 runners on base, stranding the bases loaded in the fifth and eighth innings, respectively. In the two games at Elizabethton, the Flyboys were 1-for-21 with runners in scoring position and they left 24 runners on base.
After River Riders reliever Blake Holshouser (W, 1.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 K) struck out Flyboys first baseman Dylan Jackson (2-for-4, 2 K) to keep the Flyboys off the board in the top of the eighth inning, River Riders center fielder Jordan Crosland (2-for-4, 1 RBI) singled home shortstop Brady Thompson (1-for-3, 1 R) to give the home nine a late lead. Right-hander Jack Brafa (S, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K) worked around a pinch-hit double from Flyboys infielder Cameron Kim, retiring center fielder Mycah Jordan (0-for-4, BB) and shortstop Tyler Inge (1-for-4, BB) to seal the 1-0 Elizabethton victory.
Next up
The Flyboys begin a seven-game homestand versus Bristol, hosting the State Liners at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The first 500 early arriving fans will receive a patriotic-themed t-shirt presented by Artistic Printers. 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.
