GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Down by a pair of runs in the final inning of relegation, a two-run home run by Ian Daugherty (Oklahoma State) and a walk-off RBI single in the extra inning frame by Cameron LaLiberte (Arizona) helped the Greeneville Flyboys complete the sweep over the Kingsport Axmen, winning 2-2 via tiebreaker in seven innings Sunday.
For the third game in a row, the Kingsport Axmen (25-13) took a lead on the Flyboys (19-21), as an Ian Riley (Dallas Baptist) sac fly scored Nate Anderson (Gardner-Webb) in the top of the fourth to put Kingsport up 1-0.
In the top of the fifth, a Payton Allen (Kansas) RBI single scored Sam Petersen (Iowa) to swell the lead to 2-0.
The Flyboys were down to their final three outs in the bottom of the seventh inning when LaLiberte reached on a leadoff single. Daugherty stepped in later in the frame with one out and hit a two-run home run just over the glove of Anderson in left field to tie the game at two runs apiece.
Greeneville could not break the tie in regulation and elected to go on offense for the extra inning frame. A throwing error by Andrew Lindsey (Charlotte) allowed Cian Sahler (Fordham) to reach second base, and then a single by Canyon Brown (NC A&T) moved Sahler 90 feet away from winning the game. LaLiberte chopped a ball to shortstop and the throw by Aaron Casillas (Cal Poly) was not in time, as Sahler slid underneath the tag and the Flyboys completed the three-game sweep of the Axmen.
Since the game ended in tiebreaker fashion, no pitcher is handed a win or a loss.
Finn Wall (UC Irvine) started the game for the Flyboys, going six innings, giving up two runs, one earned, off five hits while walking one and striking out three. Tyler Blankenship (Yuba College) pitched the final inning for the Flyboys, giving up one hit, walking one batter and striking out another.
Ryan Murphy (James Madison) went the full seven innings, giving up two runs off four hits, walking one batter and striking out eight.
Greeneville will have tomorrow off before heading to Bristol, Va., for a two-game set with the Bristol State Liners on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. Fans unable to make the trip to Virginia can tune into a radio broadcast of the game beginning at 6:45 p.m. at flyboysbaseball.com.
