GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Wofford Terrier Ben Timblin played the hero in his first start as a Flyboy, delivering a walk-off double to lift Greeneville to a thrilling 12-11 victory over the first-place Kingsport Axmen on Saturday night.
Kingsport wasted no time getting on the board as designated hitter Seth Farni, fresh off pitching five innings the night before, led off the game with a double.
After third baseman Garrett Luett struck out, catcher Cash Williams doubled to make it 1-0 Kingsport. A passed ball moved Williams to third before a dropped third strike allowed Williams to score and right fielder Jacob Parr to reach after an error by Greeneville catcher Matthew Cash.
The Flyboys answered emphatically with five runs in the bottom of the first. After shortstop Gabe Gray flew out to begin the inning, Cash and right fielder Olin Ward singled before left fielder Ben Timblin drew a walk.
Designated hitter Nelson Grajales-Vazquez hit a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 2-1, and after third baseman Nolan Behm singled, the game was tied at 2-2. First baseman Ruben Zuany then crushed his fourth home run of the season, a 415-foot blast to left-center field, giving Greeneville a 5-2 lead.
Kingsport answered with two runs in the second. A wild pitch by Greeneville starter Tre Jackson made it 5-3 before Williams collected another RBI with a sacrifice fly, trimming the lead to 5-4.
The Flyboys added another run in the bottom of the inning as Cash singled to score Gray after his stand-up double, extending the lead to 6-4.
Kingsport stormed back in the third, scoring four runs to erase Greeneville's lead before Brock Silvers' three-run homer in the sixth extended the Axmen advantage to 11-7.
But the Flyboys refused to quit.
Greeneville answered with two runs in the sixth to stay within striking distance before holding Kingsport scoreless over the final three innings.
Trailing by two in the ninth, Gabe Gray and Matthew Cash reached base before executing a double steal. Ward then reached on a Kingsport error to make it a one-run game, setting the stage for Timblin.
Timblin ripped his first double of the season into left field, driving home Cash and Ward as Greeneville erased a four-run deficit and walked off the Axmen, 12-11, in one of the Flyboys' most thrilling victories of the summer yet.
With the win, Greeneville moved into third place in the Appalachian League West. The Flyboys remain 2.5 games behind the second-place Johnson City Doughboys and 3.5 games behind the first-place Kingsport Axmen.
Up Next:
Greeneville will host the struggling Elizabethton River Riders for the final meeting of the season in a seven-inning game Sunday at 2 p.m. The Flyboys will then have Monday off before opening a three-game homestand against the Burlington Sock Puppets.
Tickets are available at flyboysbaseball.com or by calling 423-609-7400. Follow @gflyboys on Facebook, Instagram and X for updates and weather information.
