Reds Blast Franchise Record Four Home Runs, Take Opener On Rainy Night In Bristol

BRISTOL, VA - Ivan Johnson scored the game winning run in the top of the ninth inning on a throwing error Tuesday night at Boyce Cox Field as the Greeneville Reds (17-22) defeated the Bristol Pirates (18-21) 8-7. First pitch was delayed 31 minutes due to rain in the area.
Raul Juarez led off the second inning with a solo home run to left center field off RHP Dante Mendoza to put the Reds on the board. In the third, Allan Ceda hit a one-out solo home run to left field off Mendoza to double Greeneville's lead.
Tyler Callihan tripled to open up the fourth, and scored on Cristian Olivo's RBI fielder's choice. Danny Lantigua hit the next pitch from Mendoza over the right field wall for his first home run of the season, extending Greeneville's lead to 5-0.
Jake Snider singled to open the fourth off RHP Graham Ashcraft, and moved to third on Fernando Villegas' double. Both runners scored on consecutive RBI ground outs from Aaron Shackelford and Francisco Acuna.
With two-outs in the fifth, Callihan hit a solo home run to right field off RHP Matt Eardensohn to run the lead to 6-2.
Bristol cut the deficit to one in the sixth. Snider singled with one out, and moved to third on Villegas' double. Snider scored on Shackelford's RBI ground out. Two pitches later, Acuna hit an RBI-single into left field, scoring Villegas. Acuna scored from first on Matt Morrow's two-out, RBI-double.
The Reds and Pirates exchanged runs in the seventh. In the top half, Johnson scored on Callihan's two-out RBI-single. Marshall Gilbert led off the bottom half with a triple, and scored on Josh Bissonette's sacrifice fly.
Bristol tied the game off RHP Tanner Cooper (W, 1-0) in the eighth. Acuna drew a lead off walk, went first-to-third on Ernny Ordonez's single, and scored on Jean Eusebio's RBI bunt single.
Johnson drew a lead off walk in the ninth, and moved to second on Cerda's sacrifice bunt. Johnson stole third with one-out, and with two-outs, scored the go-ahead run on Acuna's throwing error on a ball hit off Garrett Wolforth's bat.
Cooper earned his first win in relief. He allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in two innings with two strikeouts. RHP Samson Abernathy (L, 1-2) walked one, and allowed an unearned run to score in the ninth for the loss. RHP Matt Gill (S, 2) earned his second save. Gill worked around a one-out error and struck out two in a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
The Reds look to make it two straight Wednesday night with RHP Tyler Garbee (2-0, 0.67) on the mound against RHP Adrian Florencio (1-1, 4.94). First pitch from Boyce Cox Field is scheduled for 6:30 PM.
ABOUT THE GREENEVILLE REDS
The Greeneville Reds are the Rookie affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and a member of the ten-team Appalachian League. The Reds play at Pioneer Park on the campus of Tusculum University. To learn more about the Greeneville Reds, call 423- 609-7400 or visit www.greenevillereds.com.