JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The Johnson City Doughboys ended their five-game losing streak with a confidence-boosting win over the Greeneville Flyboys at home, 9-6, on Tuesday.
It was a defensive battle between starting pitchers to begin the game. Bryson Thacker started strong for the Doughboys, striking out three batters in his first two innings. Freddy Beruvides kept pace for the Flyboys on defense, striking out one and allowing no runs through two.
Greeneville found home first in the top of the third when Ezra McNaughton lifted a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Reid Haire, who had reached on a single just before McNaughton gave the Flyboys an early 1-0 lead.
The Doughboys exploded in the bottom of the inning in response. Nate Conner and Paris Pridgen hit back-to-back RBI line drives into the outfield, scoring Logan Fyffe, who had reached on a walk, and Dane Morrow, who singled just after.
Trey Majette got in on the action with his first hit of the ballgame, an RBI single that found center field and scored Conner. Lleyton Daily followed it hugely with his first hit of the season. Daily roped a line drive to the right-center-field wall, scoring both Pridgen and Majette to give Johnson City a 5-1 lead.
Pridgen then got his second and third RBIs in the fourth with a fly ball that right fielder TJ Adams couldn’t locate off the bat. Pridgen tripled to bring home Logan Dunn and Conner to increase the lead to six.
Greeneville wouldn’t go easily. In the top of the fifth, Dylan Jackson singled for his second hit of the game, scoring Tyler Enge, who had reached on a single of his own just a batter before.
Dunn and Fyffe got the run back in the sixth as Dunn led off the inning with a double, and his college teammate Fyffe brought him right in with an RBI single up the middle into center field.
McNaughton continued his booming season at the plate with his eighth home run of the season, a 420-foot moonshot deep over the right-center-field wall, making the score 8-3.
Daily continued to have a breakout game in the seventh when he grounded into a double play but still brought home catcher Brandon Chang after his leadoff double.
Greeneville continued to make the game too close for comfort in the eighth inning. Peyton Miller delivered his only hit of the game with a two-RBI shot into right field as Brady Francisco and Brock Thompson found their way home. That was before Enge reached first on an infield error, scoring Grant Hunter and making it a three-run game.
Kade Foulke was called in with two outs in the top of the eighth, with McNaughton as the tying run at the plate with runners on first and second. Foulke struck out McNaughton and two more in the bottom of the ninth to hold on to the lead and give Johnson City the win.
The Doughboys will flip stadiums with the Flyboys and travel to Pioneer Park on Wednesday for a single road game. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
