PRINCETON, W. V. - For the second night in a row, the Kingsport Axmen beat the Princeton Whistlepigs, 10-5.
The Axmen (29-13) had the bats going early. Kingsport scored three runs on four hits in the top of the first, including a Kyle Booker RBI double and Gunner Gouldsmith RBI single.
Kingsport maintained a 3-0 lead through the first three innings. Axmen starting pitcher Brady Tedesco struck out seven of his first nine batters faced.
In the top of the fourth, Gouldsmith hit a solo home run off the left-field scoreboard for his first home run of the season to give the Axmen a 4-0 lead. Princeton (18-26) cut the lead in half in the bottom half of the inning on a Jag Burden solo homer and Owen Blackledge. RBI single.
No runs were scored in the fifth inning. Tedesco (1-1, 2.12 ERA) finished the night with five innings pitched, allowing two (earned) runs, issuing one walk and recording an Axmen single-season game-high 11 strikeouts.
Shea McGahan led off the top of the sixth with a solo home run to deep center field to give the Axmen a 5-2 lead. McGahan went 3-for-8 with a home run, triple, two RBI and two runs scored in the series. In the bottom half of the inning, the Whistlepigs cut the lead to one, but they stranded the bases loaded with one out. Croix Jenkins inherited the tough situation, but he struck out his first batter faced and for the final out, Jenkins caught a line drive up the middle to keep the one-run lead.
Kingsport regained a multi-run lead from a two-run seventh inning. Kendall Diggs scored on a wild pitch and Gouldsmith hit an RBI sac fly to centerfield. Gouldsmith finished the night 2-for-4 with his first home run of the season and three RBI.
The Axmen blew the game open after scoring another two runs in the top of the eighth. Nate Anderson stole home and Corbin Shaw scored Diggs on an RBI single. Both Anderson and Shaw recorded three-hit nights. Anderson stole three bases and leads the Appy League with 29 stolen bases.
Princeton scored one run in the eighth inning but that would not be the last run of the game.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, Aaron Casillas launched his first home run of the season over the left field wall to give Kingsport a 10-5 lead, which would end up being the final score.
In Kingsport’s victory, five of the 12 Axmen hits were for extra bases, including a single-game season high in home runs (3).
Tedesco picked up his first win of the season and Jenkins recorded his third save of the year.
The Axmen look to win their fifth straight game in Pulaski on Saturday night against the River Turtles.
