GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – After taking a 5-1 lead in the first, the Greeneville Flyboys (2-4) allowed 11 straight runs from the Danville Otterbots (4-2) and fell by a score of 12-5 on Tuesday.
Danville took an early lead in the top of the first after Javin Relaford (Santa Fe JC) scored off a Luke Stephenson (Elon) two-out double, giving the Bots a 1-0 lead.
The Flyboys answered with authority in the bottom of the first inning, after a two-run blast over the left field fence by Beau Ankeney (Grand Canyon) gave Greeneville a 2-1 advantage. Cian Sahler (Fordham) scored Aidan Cannaday (Catawba Valley CC) off an RBI single, while a throwing error by Henry Garcia (Southern) scored Saborn Campbell (Stanford), swelling the bulge to 4-1. Will Brown (Florida A&M) added another run to the board in favor of the Flyboys with an RBI single to score Sahler, giving Greeneville a 5-1 lead.
Greeneville had a chance to score again in the third inning off an Alex Diaz (Cloud County CC) single, but Cannaday was gunned out at home off a throw from Corbin Lanowitz (UNC Asheville).
Danville made their first inroads into the Flyboy advantage in the top of the fifth inning. Despite striking out, Ty Acker (George Washington) reached first after a dropped ball by Josh Cunniff (St. Charles CC). The misplay allowed RJ Johnson (Appalachian State) to score from third, cutting the lead to 5-2.
The Flyboys once again squandered a chance to increase their lead in the bottom of the fourth. After Will Taylor (Clemson) and Brock Daniels (Missouri) drew a pair of one-out walks, Ankeney popped out to center field and Daniels was gunned out at second base trying to tag up.
The Otterbots cut the lead to just one after Luke Stephenson recorded an RBI double in the top of the fifth, scoring Cam Murphy (UNC Wilmington) and Patrick Keighran (San Francisco).
Murphy tied the game at six runs apiece in the top of the sixth, scoring Acker on an RBI single. Danville took the lead for good later in the inning after a Luke Stephenson sac fly scored Relaford and a Garcia RBI single scored Murphy, giving the Bots a 7-5 advantage.
The last good chance for the Flyboys to score came in the bottom of the seventh after Will Taylor reached on a single and then stole third base. However, back-to-back strikeouts from Kevin Martin (FIU) ended the threat.
Danville padded their lead in the eighth after a Johnson single scored Keighran and a throwing error by Cuniff scored Luke Stephenson. Lanowitz closed out the scoring in the eighth inning with an RBI single, giving the Otterbots a 10-5 lead.
The Bots added some insurance in the top of the ninth, scoring a pair of runs after back-to-back walks with the bases loaded by Roan Tarbert (East Georgia State CC), as Danville took this one, 12-5.
Relaford went 3-for-6 with three runs scored for Danville, while Murphy went 3-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. Luke Stephenson went 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored.
Cannaday led the Flyboys on offense, going 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Sahler also went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Brock Duff (UVA Wise) (1-0) earns the win for the Otterbots, going two innings, striking out two and walking a pair. Sawyer Osborne (Surry CC) started the game for Danville, going three innings, giving up five runs off nine hits and striking out three. Martin went three innings, allowing two hits and striking out six. Turner Thompson (Tulane) ended the game for the Otterbots, earning two strikeouts in his inning of work.
Carson Jacobs (Gateway CC) (0-1) was handed the loss, going 1.1 innings, giving up four hits, five runs, walking a pair and striking out three. Riley Taylor (Oklahoma State) started the contest for the Flyboys, going four innings, giving up a pair of runs off five hits, walking one batter and striking out three. Andrew Morones (San Joaquin Delta CC) went 1.2 innings, giving up two hits, walking one and striking out a pair. Ryan Sweeney (Ventura College) went one inning, giving up two hits, three runs, one of which was earned, and striking out a batter. Tarbert closed out the game for Greeneville, allowing one hit, a pair of runs, walking a quartet of batters and striking out one in his lone inning of work.
Up next, Greeneville will go back on the road for a two-game series at Elizabethton beginning Wednesday. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. Fans can follow along with a live audio broadcast, beginning with the pregame show on the Flyboys Broadcasting Network at 6:45 p.m. at flyboysbaseball.com.
