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Burlington scores early and often, holds on for win over Flyboys

July 22, 2022

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – For the third straight night, the Greeneville Flyboys have played a game with at least 20 combined runs scored, falling to the Burlington Sock Puppets, 16-10, on Thursday.. The Flyboys (21-22) took an early lead on Burlington, as Myles Smith (UC Irvine) hit his fourth home run

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – For the third straight night, the Greeneville Flyboys have played a game with at least 20 combined runs scored, falling to the Burlington Sock Puppets, 16-10, on Thursday..

The Flyboys (21-22) took an early lead on Burlington, as Myles Smith (UC Irvine) hit his fourth home run of the season in the first at-bat of the night for Greeneville, giving the Boys a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first. Later in the frame, a Jack O’Reilly (Villanova) RBI single brought home Brock Daniels (Missouri) to push the lead to 2-0.

Burlington (32-11) responded with authority in the top of the second, beginning with Cooper Whitt (Trevecca Nazarene) recording a two-RBI single in his first at-bat of the year to tie the game at two runs apiece. A wild pitch later in the inning by Shane Tucker (LIU) scored Isaiah Adams (Southern) to give the Sock Puppets a 3-2 lead. Whitt came home to score off a Trey Law (Youngstown State) RBI single to double up the advantage to 4-2. Ryan McCrystal (ECU) recorded his eleventh double of the season, scoring Law and Justin Colon (Missouri) to swell the Puppet bulge to 6-2.

O’Reilly cut the Sock Puppet lead in half in the bottom of the third with an RBI double to score Ian Daugherty (Oklahoma State) and make it a 6-3 ballgame.

McCrystal took all the momentum back for the Sock Puppets in the top of the fourth, as a three-run home run pushed Burlington’s lead up to 9-3.

The home run derby continued in the bottom of the fourth, as Dub Gleed (UC Irvine) hit his third home run of the season, a solo shot to cut the lead down to 9-4.

In the top of the fifth, an RBI ground out by Law scored DeAngelo Giles (NC State) to give the Pups their tenth run of the game. Back-to-back RBI singles by Colon and McCrystal ended the frame, lifting Burlington’s advantage back up to 12-4.

Doing his best to keep the Flyboys in the game, O’Reilly brought home Smith on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to 12-5. Then during a weird exchange where Law failed to call time while arguing over a call to the field umpire, David Bishop (TCU) snuck home from third to score a run and cut the Burlington lead in half to 12-6.

McCrystal reached all the way to third in the top of the seventh inning after an error by O’Reilly scored Law. The ECU Pirate would score himself later in the inning after an RBI ground out by Ethan Lizama (Gulf Coast State College) brought him home to put Burlington back up 14-6.

Giles extended the lead in the top of the eighth with his sixth home run of the season, a solo shot to put the Puppets up 15-6. A wild pitch by Ryan Schiefer (GCU) brought home Adams, and Burlington took a 16-6 lead.

Greeneville attempted a late rally in the bottom of the eighth, as an O’Reilly RBI single brought home Bishop to cut the lead to 16-7. Maddox Mihalakis (Arizona) got in on the action with an RBI double to cut the lead in half to 16-8. A two-RBI single by Gleed cut the lead down to six runs, but the Flyboys would get no closer.

McCrystal finished the day going 3-for-3 with seven RBI, a home run, and two runs scored. O’Reilly paced the Flyboys, going 3-for-5 with five RBI.

Bishop Woods (Rend Lake College) (1-0) earns the win, going 1.1 innings, giving up two unearned runs off one hit and striking out a batter. Trey Cooper (Liberty) started the game for the Sock Puppets, going four innings, giving up four runs off seven hits, walking three and striking out seven. Ian McNabb (Monroe CC) went 1.2 innings in his Appy League debut, walking one batter. Brett Johnson (UNC Asheville) finished out the contest, going two innings, giving up four runs off six hits and striking out one.

Tucker (2-1) was handed the loss, going three innings, giving up six runs, none of those earned, off five hits, walking three and striking out three. Jacob Willett (Tusculum) went two innings in his debut, giving up six runs off six hits, walking one and striking out another. Schiefer closed out the ballgame, going four innings, giving up four runs off four hits, walking five and striking out five other batters.

The Flyboys and Sock Puppets close out the series tomorrow, July 22, at Pioneer Park. Tennessee Volunteer pitcher Kirby Connell will be signing autographs before the game. The Flyboys will also present their final fireworks show of the season after the conclusion of the contest. First pitch is set for 7 PM. Fans can purchase tickets at flyboysbaseball.com