GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The Greeneville Flyboys had the tying run at third base with just one out in the bottom of the ninth, but a strikeout by Rece Parker (Rogers State) ended the contest, giving the Princeton Whistlepigs a 6-5 victory.
For the second straight night, Greeneville found themselves having to play from behind early after a Woody Hadeen (UC Irvine) groundout scored Jason Neff (Richmond) in the top of the second inning. A Jesse Robinson (VCU) single scored Jag Burden (Cal) later in the frame, pushing the Whistlepigs (6-8) to a 2-0 lead.
The Flyboys (5-9) answered in the bottom of the second with an RBI groundout of their own by Myles Smith (UC Irvine) scoring Cameron LaLiberte (Arizona) cutting the Whistlepig advantage in half to 2-1.
In the bottom of the third, Jack O’Reilly (Villanova) tied the contest at two runs apiece on an RBI groundout of his own, scoring Brock Daniels (Missouri).
Princeton broke the tie in the top of the fourth with a Burden two-run home run to right field, his first of the year, to put the Whistlepigs up 4-2.
Landon Reeves (Davidson) continued the hitting party for Princeton in the top of the fifth, hitting a solo home run 426 feet over the right-field wall, pushing the Whistlepig lead to 5-2. O’Reilly came up for the Flyboys in the bottom of the fifth with a two-RBI single scoring Cian Sahler (Fordham) and Will Taylor (Clemson), lowering the Princeton lead to 5-4.
Greeneville saw another chance to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth after back-to-back singles by Dub Gleed (UC Irvine) and Saborn Campbell (Stanford), but a strikeout by Rob Ready (Richmond) ended the threat.
Princeton extended their advantage in the top of the eighth after a Mitchell Okuley (Ohio State) RBI single with two outs scored Robinson to give the Whistlepigs a 6-4 lead.
After a leadoff walk by Sahler and a single by Will Taylor, Daniels grounded out to first base to score Sahler and cut the Whistlepig lead to 6-5. The Flyboys' comeback fell short after a pop fly by O’Reilly and then a Beau Ankeney (Grand Canyon) strikeout ended the game and Princeton earned the sweep over Greeneville.
Despite the loss, O’Reilly went 1-for-5 with three RBI for the Flyboys.
Ready (1-0) earns the win, going 3.2 innings, allowing three hits and striking out one. Parker earned his first save of the season, closing out the contest after allowing just one run off one hit, walking one and striking out another. Andres Galan (Cal) started the game for Princeton, going 4.1 innings, allowing four runs, one of which was earned, off five hits, walking two and striking out a trio of batters.
Finn Wall (UC Irvine) (0-1) was handed the loss, going 3.2 innings, allowing four runs off six hits, walking three and striking out two. Carson Jacobs (Gateway CC) went 2.1 innings, allowing one run off one hit, walking two and striking out one. Cade Nelson (Gateway CC) went two innings, allowing one run off one hit, walking one and striking out three. Riley Taylor (Oklahoma State) closed out the game for the Flyboys, giving up one hit and striking out a batter in one inning of work.
The Flyboys will hit the road for a three-game series with the Johnson City Doughboys. First pitch for game one is set for tomorrow, June 17, at 7 p.m. Fans can tune in to a live radio broadcast on the Flyboys Broadcasting Network with a preshow beginning at 6:45 p.m. at flyboysbaseball.com.
