GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Greeneville fell short as it dropped a 15-4 decision to the Burlington Sock Puppets on home soil Tuesday night.
Both starters kept the game scoreless through the first inning despite each team putting runners in scoring position, sending the game into the second scoreless.
The Sock Puppets, who were run-ruled just two days earlier, came out swinging in the top of the second inning. After Greeneville starter Hudson Johnson allowed the first two batters to reach, Burlington designated hitter Bruce Wyche delivered a two-run double to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
After catcher Justin Munoz struck out, the Flyboys appeared to have a chance to escape the inning unscathed. Instead, Burlington sent five consecutive batters aboard, extending the lead to 5-0. Following a flyout by shortstop Owen Lee for the second out, another run scored on a passed ball to make it 6-0.
Greeneville's bullpen briefly settled things down. Owen Shinada tossed two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out two. Josh Jeffcoat followed by working a scoreless fourth inning, but the Flyboys were unable to answer offensively, keeping the score at 6-0 heading into the fifth.
Burlington broke the game open in the top of the fifth. John Delgadillo singled, and Munoz reached on a fielding error before Braden Maranto got aboard due to a fielder's choice, advancing Delgadillo to third. A wild pitch brought Delgadillo home to make it 7-0. After three more Sock Puppets reached base, the lead grew to eight. Brandon Novy added an RBI single to stretch the advantage to 10-0 before two-way player Bryson Boyd entered in relief of Jeffcoat. Wyche greeted Boyd with a two-run double, pushing Burlington's lead to 12-0.
Greeneville finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth after first baseman Ruben Zuany and left fielder Amari Jefferson opened the inning with back-to-back singles. A wild pitch and a passed ball allowed Zuany to score before center fielder Matthew Kerrigan lined an RBI single to right. Designated hitter Matthew Cash later added a sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to 12-3.
Burlington answered immediately in the sixth as Novy doubled home center fielder Sal Mineo to restore a 10-run lead at 13-3.
The Sock Puppets put the game away in the seventh, plating two more runs on RBI hits from Jadyn Nunez and Mineo to extend the lead to 15-3.
Greeneville managed one final run in the bottom of the inning when catcher Nelson Grajales-Vazquez scored on a balk after reaching on a walk, but the comeback never materialized as right fielder Olin Ward struck out to end the game. The 15-4 run rule defeat sends the Flyboys into Game 2 of the series looking to bounce back and even things up.
Up Next
Greeneville will play Burlington two more times before opening a three-game series against the Kingsport Axmen and then closing the regular season with a three-game series against the Johnson City Doughboys.
Tickets are available at flyboysbaseball.com or by calling 423-609-7400. Follow @gflyboys on Facebook, Instagram and X for updates and weather information.
