BLUEFIELD, W. Va. —Greeneville dropped the first game of Thursday's doubleheader in gut-wrenching fashion as the Ridge Runners held on for a 6-5 victory at home.
Blane Metz got the starting nod for Greeneville in Game 1 and turned in a gem. Metz pitched three innings of one-hit ball, allowing just one run while striking out four in his first Appalachian League start.
Greeneville got the scoring started in the top of the second when shortstop Carson Ray blasted his first home run of the season over the left-field wall to give the Flyboys a 1-0 lead. However, Bluefield answered in the bottom of the third when right fielder Jack Quetschenbach doubled home second baseman Andrew Cross, who had reached on a walk, to tie the game at 1-1.
The Flyboys regained the lead in the fourth in unusual fashion. After shortstop Carson Brumbaugh reached on a walk, what appeared to be a routine rundown turned chaotic as two errant throws by Bluefield resulted in errors, allowing Brumbaugh to score all the way from first and hand Greeneville a 2-1 lead.
Bluefield's offense then erupted in the bottom of the fourth with a four-run inning. First baseman Cy Chrisman led off with a single after Jaden Hill relieved Metz. Cameron Dube followed with a walk, moving Chrisman to second. Third baseman Cy Chrisman later scored on a single by Matthew Robaugh, tying the game at 2-2. Moments later, Robaugh launched a three-run home run to give the Ridge Runners a 5-2 advantage.
Greeneville scratched across a run in the top of the fifth despite managing just one baserunner. Matthew Kerrigan worked a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a pickoff error and a wild pitch by reliever Trent Rudge. After Bryan Williams Jr. drew a walk, Matthew Cash delivered a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Kerrigan and trimming the deficit to 5-3.
Bluefield answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning when shortstop Travis Peitz launched a solo home run to left-center field, restoring the three-run advantage at 6-3. The Ridge Runners threatened for more after a walk and a hit batter put two runners aboard, but Greeneville escaped without allowing any further damage.
The Flyboys were retired in order in the sixth, while Trey Tarkington provided a scoreless bottom half of the inning in relief, working around a two-out double by Ryan Morel to keep the score at 6-3 heading into the seventh.
With their final at-bat slipping away, the Flyboys mounted one last desperate charge in the seventh. After Bluefield recorded two quick outs, left fielder Matthew Kerrigan sparked life into Greeneville with a line-drive single before center fielder Bryan Williams Jr. worked a walk to bring the tying run aboard.
Down to their final strike, Cash delivered a clutch liner into center field, scoring both Kerrigan and Williams to cut the deficit to 6-5 and send the Greeneville dugout into a frenzy.
As the ball was misplayed in center field, Cash attempted to stretch the hit into a double, but Bluefield recovered just in time to throw him out at second, ending the game in dramatic fashion.
Up Next
Following this twin bill, the Flyboys travel to Burlington for a matchup against the Sock Puppets. The series will pause Saturday as Greeneville hosts Team USA in an exhibition game.
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