Mets Overcome Rain, Deficit in Convincing Win

BRISTOL, Va.- The Kingsport Mets fought through yet another rain delay Thursday night to take home an eye-opening 14-run victory Friday morning just after the midnight hour as the K-Mets pounded out 17 runs off 19 hits for a 17-3 series win in Game 3 over the Bristol Pirates at Boyce Cox Field.
Kingsport (5-9) utilized an eight-run fifth inning to retake the elad and never look back that was sandwhiched around another hour-plus rain delay-the third such delay of the series. Bristol tallied only three runs off nine hits whiel aso committing five errors defensively in the field.
Kingsport's best chance early on was in the top of the third as the K-Mets loaded the bases with only one out. Howver, Bristol starter, and local product Hunter Stratton, buckled down to induce consecutive pop outs on the infield grass from Jeremy Vasquez and Wagner Lagrange to end the threat.
The K-Mets did make good of some luck given their way in the top of the fourth as two errors on the Pirates second baseman, Nick Valaika, allowed the first run of the day to cross the plate. A hard-hit ball off the bat of Kevin Hall hit off the glove of both the pitcher Stratton and the seocn dbaseman Valaika, but it was the latter's throw to the first base bag that was off line that allowed Juan Uriarte to come in and score.
A batter later, Dan Hoy drilled a single to left field to bring in Hall as the K-Mets led by two runs through three innings and a half. The two runs in the frame broke a strand of nine unanswered scored by the he team in the series dating back to Wednesday's contest.
Like clockwork once again, the Pirates stormed back to take the lead in the bottom of the inning by scoring three runs off three hits. A two-run single from Johan de Jesus tied the game with no outs while a sacrifice fly off the bat of Valaika drove in de Jesus for the go-ahead run as the Pirates then led the K-Mets by a score of 3-2 after four innings.
Back in the top of the fifth, Kingsport took the lead right back following five runs off four hits just prior to another hour-plus rain delay at Boyce Cox Field. Juan Uriarte and Anthony Dirocie began the charge with consecutive run-scoring singles while Grabiel Jimenez doubled off the right-center field wall to plate three more runs.  
Following the rain delay with the bases loaded and still only one out, Edgardo Fermin blasted the second bases-clearing, three-run double to implode the lead to seven runs at 10-3 midway through five innings. The inning finally ended with eight runs off five hits for the Mets.
After a scoreless sixth, Kingsport was back at it in the seventh innings as six-consecutive singles plated two more runs as the drives were off the bat of Fermin and Lagrange once again. An error also allowed another runner to score as the Mets led by 10 runs by stretch time.
The Mets went on to score four more runs in the final two frames as Fermin drove in another with his second double of the game and while Terrazas delivered two more sacrifice flyouts. Kingsport held on to win easily and to take its second series of the season with the 17-3 monster win over Bristol Thursday night.
Picking up the win after tossing only 1/3 of an inning in relief was Stephen Villines (1-0) while Adonis Pichardo (0-1) took home the loss after allowing eight runs off only four hits in 2/3 innings of work on the mound. Position players Henrry Rosario and Nelson Jorge pitched the final three innings for the Pirates during the blowout loss.
Fermin was one of six K-Mets who tallied multiple hits on the day as the short stop tallied career-highs in hits (5) and RBIs (5) while also two runs in the win. Lagrange tallied a three-hit day with a pair of RBIs while four others collected at least two hits during the victory.
Kingsport will return home to Hunter wright Stadium Friday night to open a four-game series against the Appalachian League West-leading Greeneville Astros beginning at 6:30 p.m. Coverage on the Kingsport Mets Baseball Network will be off and running at 6:15 p.m. with Eric Cain on the call.