JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Johnson City Doughboys could not find any momentum on the offensive side Tuesday night against the Greeneville Flyboys, only scoring one run and losing 9-1 when the final out was recorded.
Johnson City’s lone run came in the bottom of the first on an RBI sacrifice fly from Eli Thurmond. Kenyon Hughes Jr. and Gabe Tanous led things off with a duo of singles, but the Doughboys only drove in one during a bases-loaded opportunity.
The Flyboys bounced back in a huge way in the second, though, putting up four runs and three hits to take a commanding lead. Evan Williams and Nolen Behm drew a pair of walks, then Ruben Zuany singled to left to load the bases.
Nelson Grajales-Vazquez took the lead with the Flyboys with a two-RBI single, followed by a single by Gabe Gray for an RBI of his own. Levi Pinder drove in a run of his own on an RBI groundout, putting the Flyboys ahead 4-0.
Doughboy reliever Hiram Lewis had an amazing outing, going 4.1 innings of scoreless baseball with only one hit and a strikeout. He kept Greeneville in check, putting his side in a good position to come back in the Appalachian West showdown.
But, between the 2nd and 8th innings, Johnson City only recorded three total hits and left seven runners on base. Missed opportunities struck the Doughboys, and the Flyboys responded in the eighth with another four-run inning.
Greeneville went through all nine hitters, with a string of six straight hits. Owen Ten Oever led the charge with a two-run homer to left, smashing it 401 feet and 103 mph off the bat.
Flyboy doubles for Matt Cash and Williams, added with singles for Behm, Zuany, and Grajales-Vazquez, gave Greeneville all momentum and an 8-1 lead. The pitching staff for the visiting side combined for 12 strikeouts, and four different pitchers went scoreless.
The Flyboys added one more run for good measure in the top of the ninth, again by Ten Oever on a sac fly, going up 9-1.
Johnson City had some hope with a string of hits for Tanous and Eisfelder, but a double play turned by the Greeneville defense ended things at TVA Credit Union Ballpark.
The Flyboys currently lead the season series 2-1, and are now second in the west, only 0.5 games ahead of the Doughboys after the win.
Notables:
● Lewis had an incredible outing on the bump, going 4.1 innings of scoreless play with one hit and one strikeout to his name.
● Hughes Jr. and Tanous both had multi-hit games at the top of the order, cementing themselves as key options for the rest of the summer.
● But the Doughboys struggled with opportunities, leaving 13 on base and a 1-for-12 line with runners in scoring position.
Up Next:
Johnson City will head to Greeneville on Wednesday, July 1st, for a double-header with game one starting at 5:00 p.m. The score will be 2-0 for the Doughboys, since the game was delayed earlier this season due to the weather.
Then, the team returns to TVA Credit Union Ballpark for a four-game split series against the Kingsport Axmen. Games one and three will be at home, including our Fourth of July spectacular on Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
You can reserve your spot by visiting https://www.appyleague.com/johnson-city/tickets to join us for an amazing holiday celebration. Also, be sure to keep up with our Instagram, @jc_doughboys, to see all Doughboys action and follow the team closely!