Daniels hits for cycle as Flyboys take slugfest from Bristol

BRISTOL, Va. – Brock Daniels (Missouri) became the second Flyboy in team history to hit for the cycle, finishing 5-for-6 with a home run, a double, a triple, six RBI and three runs scored as Greeneville outlasted Bristol to earn a 17-10 victory Wednesday night.

Daniels opened his night in the top of the first inning, as his RBI single scored Myles Smith (UC Irvine) to give Greeneville (21-21) the early 1-0 lead.

The State Liners (12-28) immediately tied the game in the bottom of the first after a Sean Smith (Mississippi Gulf Coast JC) RBI double plated Matthew Puello (Fairleigh Dickinson) to square the two squads at one run each.

For the second straight night, the Flyboys used a strong second inning to build a cushion over Bristol, beginning with a Smith RBI single that scored Dub Gleed (UC Irvine) to take a 2-1 lead. David Bishop (TCU) then added two more runs with a two-RBI single to bring home Canyon Brown (NC A&T) and Smith and make it a 4-1 lead. Daniels then blew the game open with a two-run home run over the right field fence, his third of the year, to give Greeneville a 6-1 lead. A Jack O’Reilly (Villanova) RBI double scored Ian Daugherty (Oklahoma State) to end the inning, giving the Flyboys a 7-1 advantage.

Bristol responded in the bottom of the second, with Nicholas Strong (Illinois State) scoring off a wild pitch by Caleb Jones (Winthrop) to cut the lead to 7-2. Blake Wood (FSC at Jacksonville) just beat out a throw by Daniels to reach on a fielder’s choice, bringing home Brandon Nigh (Oakland) and making it a 7-3 ballgame.

Daniels continued his strong night in the top of the third, as a two-run double by the St. Louis, Mo., native scored Canyon Brown and Smith to put Greeneville up 9-3. A Daugherty single on the next pitch brought home Daniels, giving the Flyboys a 10-3 advantage.

The Liners began to chip away at the lead in the bottom of the third after a Will Spears Jr (Memphis) sac fly scored Smith Jr and then an RBI single by Strong brought home Aaron Graeber (RCSJ-Gloucester) to cut the lead in half to 10-5.

In the bottom of the fourth, Spears came through again to score Wood on another RBI single, cutting the lead to 10-6. A Strong single brought home Graeber for the second straight inning, and the Liners entered the fifth inning down by just three.

A wild pitch by Tyler Blankenship (Yuba College) brought home Tahir Meulens (Ivy Tech CC) and the State Liners’ five unanswered runs cut the Greeneville lead to 10-8.

The Flyboys got all five runs back in the top of the sixth inning, beginning with an RBI double by Canyon Brown to score Maddox Mihalakis (Arizona) to put Greeneville back up 11-8. Smith singled two pitches later, bringing home Shemar Dalton (NC A&T) and Brown to push Greeneville ahead 13-8.

Daniels completed the cycle in the top of the sixth, poking a ball down the left field line to score Smith on an RBI triple. Daniels is the second Flyboy in team history to hit for the cycle after Tayler Aguilar (Grand Canyon) hit for the cycle at Kingsport almost a year ago to the day on July 29, 2021.

Daugherty brought home Daniels to end the inning, as his RBI single gave the Flyboys a 15-8 lead.

Bristol would not go down quietly after Nigh scored Spears Jr. on an RBI single and a second wild pitch by Blankenship brought home Strong in the bottom of the sixth to cut Greenville’s lead to 15-10.

An error in the top of the eighth inning by the State Liners allowed Smith to score, extending the lead to 16-10 for Greeneville. Bristol committed six total errors in the contest.

Greeneville closed out the ballgame in the top of the ninth, scoring another run off a wild pitch by Peyton Jula (Austin Peay), and the Flyboys earned their fifth straight win, sweeping Bristol with the 17-10 win.

Smith also had a good night at the plate, going 4-for-5 with three RBI and five runs scored.

Blankenship (1-2) earns the win, going 2.1 innings, allowing three runs, with only one of those being earned, off two hits, walking two and striking out a pair. Nate Kiser (USC-Salkehatchie) was lights out for the Flyboys in route to his second save of the season, going three innings, giving up two hits, walking a batter and striking out three. Jones started the contest for the Flyboys, going 3.2 innings, giving up seven runs off nine hits, walking three and striking out six.

Trey Valka III (Houston Baptist) (0-3) was handed the loss, going two innings, giving up nine runs, seven of those being earned, off seven hits, walking three and striking out four. Jude King (Gordon State College) went 3.1 innings, giving up five runs off seven hits, walking two and striking out one. Jula closed the contest for the State Liners, going 3.2 innings, allowing three runs, two of those being earned, off four hits, walking three and striking out seven.

The Flyboys will head home for a six-game homestand, opening with a two-game set against the Burlington Sock Puppets on Thursday, July 21, at 7 p.m. It’s Thirsty Thursday, with 20-ounce draft beers available for just $3 all night long. Fans can purchase tickets at flyboysbaseball.com.