GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The Johnson City Doughboys traveled to play the Greeneville Flyboys in a doubleheader on Wednesday and split the two games with an 8-4 win and a 4-4 loss in tiebreaker fashion.

Game One: W 8-4

After coming into the matchup already up 2-0 following the June 18th delay, the Doughboys took control early and built a commanding lead. The offense tallied 11 total hits, while the defense recorded six double-plays.

In the second inning, or first inning of the continuation, Johnson City put up two runs to start things off and extend the delayed lead. Gunner Skelton returned to the lineup in the leadoff spot and recorded an RBI single along with an RBI groundout for Noah Cox.

But the Doughboys weren’t done on the offensive end. Jackson Geiger drilled his fourth double of the season for another RBI, putting the visiting side up 5-1.

Greeneville cut the lead scoring runs in the second, third and fifth innings. This was highlighted by an RBI single for Owen Ten Oever and an RBI sacrifice fly for Nolan Behm to cut the lead to one.

The Doughboy pitching duo of Julien Hachem and JR Fordham combined for four scoreless innings on only one hit to keep the Flyboys at bay. They combined for four punchouts as well, fooling Greenville bats from the sixth to the ninth inning.

The Johnson City offense backed the pitching up with three straight scoring innings to end the game, after going scoreless for the previous three innings. In the seventh, Anthony Temesvary drilled his first extra-base hit of the season to left to score one.

In the eighth, Skelton doubled, Cox singled and was driven in by Kenyon Hughes on a ground out. In the ninth, Geiger recorded another RBI, this time on a single to make it 8-4 with a commanding lead.

While the Doughboys may have missed on some opportunities with 11 left on base and a 6-for-23 line with runners in scoring position, it was enough to gain the win and take the first game of the doubleheader.

Game Two: L 4-4 (Greeneville took the tiebreaker)

Ryan Weller got the start for the Doughboys for the first time this summer and pitched three scoreless innings with three strikeouts and only two hits allowed. It was an impressive start to the season for him and a tone-setter for the rest of the game.

Aiden VanDeHatert also had a flawless start for Greeneville, going 1-2-3 for the first two innings and retiring the first eight batters he faced. But, Johnson City found a small crack to strike first.

Hughes Jr. and Walter Urbon both drew walks with two outs in the third, then Cox drove them in with an RBI single to open up the scoring. Then, a pitcher’s duel ensued for both sides.

Johnson City pitcher Eli Miller came in for relief and started his night with another incredible relief opportunity. The southpaw retired two batters and gave up a walk in the first, getting out of it with an incredible throw to second from Zach Porter to catch Ten Oever stealing.

In the bottom of the fifth, Miller struck out the side on only 14 pitches, strolling off the mound with confidence for his side. But Greeneville struck in the sixth with three runs and took the lead with one inning left in the seven-inning contest.

All nine batters came up in the inning, with the Flyboys gaining four straight hits with two outs on the scoreboard. Ten Oever continued his monster day with an RBI double to take the lead, and Matt Cash followed him with an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-1.

The Doughboys, down to their last three outs in the seventh inning, mounted an improbable comeback after sending up nine batters of their own. Porter reached on an error, Temesvary notched another hit on the day, and Urbon got hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Cox gained another RBI, this time a two-run single to right field to notch things up at three. Skelton recorded yet another RBI, a double down the left-field line to take the lead with one inning left to play.

The Flyboys responded with a run of their own to force a tiebreaker after a Johnson City defensive error and a walk from Carson Ray. Bryce Williams Jr. tied it up with an RBI knock.

But Doughboy pitcher Jackson Steinmetz kept it tied with two clutch outs as the winning run stood 90 feet away to force extras. Greeneville got the choice as the home team for the extra inning, and decided to hit Nolan Behm up to the plate.

A balk and a wild pitch moved pinch-runner Gabe Gray to third. Behm grounded out to second, and Evan Williams walked up to the plate with a prime chance to walk it off.

The star two-way player for the Flyboys did just that, sending a single on the ground to right field. Williams was met by his teammates in the outfield with a Gatorade bath for the first extra-inning walk-off win for his team.

Notables:

• Cox sparked the offense throughout both games, finishing 4-for-8 with four RBI, including 3 of the 4 runs scored in game two.
• The Doughboys had contributions throughout the lineup, with Skelton and Geiger both driving in two total runs throughout both games.
• The pitching staff impressed, with Hachem, Fordham, Miller, and Weller all having great days with 11 combined strikeouts throughout the doubleheader.

Up Next:

The Doughboys return to TVA Credit Union Ballpark to start a four-game series against the Kingsport Axmen. Join us for a Thirsty Thursday on July 3rd at 7:00 p.m. and our Fourth of July celebration on Saturday for an amazing fireworks show.

You can go ahead and get tickets at https://www.appyleague.com/johnson-city/tickets and keep up with all of the action on our Instagram, @jc-doughboys!