To start July 4th weekend, the Pulaski River Turtles fell to the Princeton WhistlePigs, 8-6.

Princeton started fast, but a late-game resurgence from the River Turtles would make the game close. Despite the late-game heroics, Pulaski didn’t have enough to pull away with the win.

Princeton got off to a dominant start scoring five runs in the first. A pair of errors by Pulaski would bring in the first two runs, then an RBI double from left fielder Jag Burden and a two-run homer from right fielder David Wiley would make the game 5-0 after one inning.

In the fifth, an RBI single from shortstop Woody Hadeen would extend Princeton’s lead to 6-0. In the bottom of the inning, Pulaski would break the shutout off an RBI triple from designated hitter T.J. Fondtain and make the game 6-1. Second baseman Owen Deshazo would follow that up with an RBI single to bring the game to 6-2.

Thanks to a fielding error by Princeton, Pulaski would add on another run in the sixth to pull within three and make the game 6-3.

Momentum kept rolling for Pulaski in the seventh as shortstop Ryan Johnson would hit a clutch two-run single to make the game 6-5.

With two strikes and two outs in the top of the ninth, first baseman Landon Reeves would hit a two-run single to extend Princeton’s lead to three and make the game 8-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

With two outs, a fielding error would bring in Johnson and put Pulaski within two runs, but they failed to put up anymore on the board.

The win and loss went to the starters, Chris Canada and Gabriel Perez, respectively. Canada went five innings, allowing three hits, two runs and striking out ten. Perez also went five innings, allowing seven hits, six runs (two earned), walking one and striking out four.

Pulaski looks to tie up the series with a rematch against the WhistlePigs on Sunday.