JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — Kingsport defeated the Johnson City Doughboys with their best offensive outing of the season, winning a shortened contest 20-8.
Fireworks define the Fourth of July and Kingsport mashed three home runs to light up the scoreboard. Jacob Parr blasted two home runs, and Cash Williams had a three-run homer that was a rocket into left-center.
While the home runs were big in the win, it wasn’t the only way Kingsport was producing runs. The Axmen tallied a season-high 17 hits, eight coming in a seven-run second inning.
Only one Axmen was held hitless, as Trey Jozwiakowski, Dylan Passo, Garrett Luett, Kyuss Gargett, Williams, and Parr had multiple hits in the contest.
Kingsport led 12-0 after the third inning, and grew the lead to 15-1 after the Axmen added three to the board in the sixth.
However, even with the deficit, Johnson City wasn’t done quite yet. Chase Kriebel was hit around for the first time this year, giving up four hits and two walks.
Colin Sullivan was put into the contest with the bases loaded and no outs. Sullivan faired well, but gave up hit number five in the inning, while also issuing two walks.
Seth Farni then entered after Sullivan needing to get one out. Farni hit Kenyon Hughes Jr. with the bases loaded to plate run number eight for Johnson City, but Farni kept the damage from getting worse by striking out the next batter.
Even with a 15-8 lead, the Axmen didn’t feel safe. Garret Luett had a leadoff double and was eventually brought around to score on an error by Hugh Jr. at second base.
Johnson City kept the inning brief, however, giving up just one run.
Farni responded with a quick inning of his own, going one-two-three through the heart of the Johnson City order.
Jackson Steinmetz faced the Axmen order in the eighth, and quickly got two outs. Steinmetz walked the top of Kingsport’s order, Jozwiakowski, to give the Axmen a little life with two down.
Passo scorched a double in the next at-bat, followed by an RBI single from Luett, making the score 17-8. Then, that is when Williams put the bow on the win with his home run.
The Doughboys were about to come out in the eighth to hit, but lightning delayed the contest that was almost past 11:00.
With the score so lopsided, the game was called, giving Kingsport a 20-8 win and improving them to 13-12 on the season, tying them with Elizabethton for second place in the West.
