GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — The Greeneville Flyboys fell to the Kingsport Axmen, 8-4, in a clash between the top two teams in the Appalachian League West on Tuesday night at Pioneer Park. Kingsport (20-14) gained sole possession of first place, demoting Greeneville (18-14) in the process. The Flyboys and the Axmen exchanged the lead three times in the first five innings before the Axmen scored six times in the following two innings to take control.
Greeneville took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI single from right fielder TJ Adams (1-for-5, RBI). The Flyboys had a chance to add more runs, but Kingsport starter Ronin Vicenti (3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K) induced a pop out to strand the bases loaded. After allowing three consecutive men to reach with two outs in the third inning, Vicenti once again recorded a well-timed flyout as Greeneville failed to score with the bases loaded for the second time in three innings. Kingsport clung to a 2-1 lead at the end of the third inning.
Flyboys right-hander Braxton Lewis (4 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) performed well against the high-powered Axmen bats, bouncing back from a two-run third inning with a 1-2-3 fourth inning to finish his longest outing of the season. The Flyboys took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning when left fielder Grant Hunter (2-for-3, 2 RBI) delivered a two-run single with two outs, though he was picked off before Adams had a chance to extend the Flyboys’ 3-2 lead.
Kingsport hit a pair of two-run home runs in the top of the sixth inning, marking the game’s fourth lead change, though it was the first time that either team led by more than one run. Third baseman Ben Tryon (2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI) and first baseman PJ Jones (1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI) each hit towering home runs to right field to give the Axmen a 6-3 lead, which the visitors stretched to 8-3 following a pair of unearned runs in the seventh. The Flyboys left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, lined into a double play in the eighth inning and fell victim to a diving catch in left field to end the game.
With its 8-4 victory over the Flyboys, Kingsport becomes the first team in the West to reach 20 wins. After finishing June 14-6, Greeneville is 4-8 in July. The Flyboys left 13 runners on base in Tuesday’s loss, failing to score with the bases loaded in three different innings. Kingsport holds a 3-2 lead in the season series, with the teams meeting one more time in the regular season and potentially in a rematch of the 2024 semifinal later on in July.
Next up
The Flyboys conclude their series versus Kingsport at 7 p.m. Wednesday. 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.
