KINGSPORT, Tenn. – A bases-loaded walk drawn by Nate Anderson (Gardner-Webb) and a three-run double by Sam Petersen (Iowa) helped the Kingsport Axmen break a tie in the bottom of the eighth, knocking off the Greeneville Flyboys, 8-4, on Friday.
Anderson started the scoring for the Axmen (33-14) in the bottom of the third inning, as an RBI groundout scored Henry Hunter (UAB) to put Kingsport up 1-0.
The Axmen extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth after a sacrifice fly by Payton Allen (Kansas) scored Jake Perry (Minnesota) while an Aaron Casillas (Cal Poly) RBI single brought in Gunner Gouldsmith (Sacramento State) to push the Kingsport lead to 3-0.
The Flyboys (24-25) answered in the top of the fifth as a Myles Smith (UC Irvine) RBI-single scored Cameron LaLiberte (Arizona) to cut the lead to 3-1.
Petersen got the run back for Kingsport in the bottom of the fifth with his sixth home run of the season, a solo shot over the left field wall to put the Axmen up 4-1.
Greeneville cut into the lead in the top of the sixth as a LaLiberte double scored Jack O’Reilly (Villanova) to make it 4-2. With the bases loaded, Smith was hit by a pitch, scoring Dub Gleed (UC Irvine) and the Flyboys found themselves down 4-3.
In the top of the eighth, Will Brown (Florida A&M) tied the game up with one swing of the bat, hitting his first home run of the season to square the game up at four runs apiece.
After loading the bases in the bottom of the eighth, Kingsport retook the lead after Anderson drew a walk, scoring Allen to give the Axmen a 5-4 advantage. Petersen swelled the Kingsport advantage with a bases-clearing, three-run double to push the Axmen in front 8-4.
O’Reilly reached second base in the top of the ninth with a one-out double, but a strike out by Chris Sabo (UNC Asheville) ended the ballgame, giving the Kingsport Axmen the 8-4 win and their first Appy League West Division title in team history.
Petersen finished the night 2-for-5 with four RBI and a home run to pace Kingsport. Despite the loss, LaLiberte finished the contest 3-for-4 with one run and an RBI.
Sabo (3-0) earns the win, going two innings, giving up two hits and striking out three. Brady Tedesco (Campbellsville) started the contest, going 4.1 innings, giving up one run off five hits, walking two and striking out four. Liam O’Brien (Pima CC) went one inning in relief, giving up two runs off three hits and walking two. Conner Maggi (Gardner-Webb) went 1.2 innings, giving up one run off two hits, walking one and striking out four batters.
Nate Kiser (USC-Salkehatchie) (1-1) was handed the loss, going 2.2 innings, giving up two runs off two hits, walking one and striking out two. Riley Taylor (Oklahoma State) started the game, going five innings, giving up four runs off eight hits, walking three and striking out three. Shane Tucker (LIU) closed out the ballgame, going 0.1 of an inning, giving up two runs off one hit, walking two and striking out one.
The Flyboys and Axmen will meet in Game 2 of their three-game set at Hunter Wright Stadium on Saturday. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. A live radio broadcast will be available for free beginning at 6:45 p.m. at flyboysbaseball.com
