JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - In his first game back from Omaha, Colby Backus came in clutch for Johnson City, walking off Kingsport, 5-4.
The game would start fast for the Doughboys, sending nine to the plate in the first with Gunner Boree hitting an inside-the-park homer, opening up the scoring. Chris McHugh and Eduardo Morales would also bring in runs, opening up a four-run Doughboys lead.
The game would settle down after that, with Owen Slater spinning three scoreless innings.
The Axmen would strike in the fourth, cutting the Doughboys' lead in half at 4-2.
Johnson City's offense would go quiet in the middle innings, with only one runner in scoring position from the third through the sixth.
The Axmen wouldn't go down quiet and kept cutting away at the Doughboys' lead, plating one in the sixth.
Johnson City's bats would stay dormant, not getting a runner to third until the eighth after the four-run first.
Kingsport would tie the ballgame up in the eighth. Then, the Doughboys would try to strike back.
With a runner on third and no outs, the Doughboys would try to score the go-ahead run on a ground ball. The runner would be put out at the plate on a fielder's choice, holding the score tied.
Griffin Howell would come in for the second night in a row, work past a leadoff double, and strike out the side to send the ballgame into the bottom of the ninth tied.
The top of the lineup would be looking to end things in walk-off fashion for the second night in a row.
Following Chase Bloomer and Carson Kerce's singles, the Axmen would elect to intentionally walk Gunner Boree, leading to a matchup with Colby Backus.
In his first game back with the Doughboys since the 2023 Appy League Championship game, Backus would remind us of his poise, working the count full before sending a ball up the middle, walking the game off.
The walkoff was the second in a row for the Doughboys and the 12th win of the season. The win puts the Doughboys just one game out of first place, giving them an opportunity to go into the off-day in first.
The series will conclude on Sunday at 5:30 p.m.
