KINGSPORT, TN — The Kingsport Axmen fell, 4-2, to the Princeton WhistlePigs in front of 3,216 fans Wednesday evening at Hunter Wright Stadium.
Despite Kingsport’s pitching staff retiring 15 of the last 16 hitters, the Axmen (10-13) were unable to rally late.
Southpaw Kyle Scrape along with right-handers Matt Taylor and Ethan Axman combined to toss five scoreless frames in relief. The trio surrendered just one hit and totaled four strikeouts. Kingsport lowered its team earned-run average to 4.31, which ranks second in the Appalachian League.
The WhistlePigs (14-8) jumped on the board in the second inning. First baseman Fisher Pyatt and center fielder Nathan Holt both collected RBI singles to put the visitors up, 2-0. One inning later, Princeton’s designated hitter Brady Day extended the WhistlePigs’ lead to three with a ground-rule double, driving in Tre Morris.
Axmen first baseman Hunter Fitz-Gerald answered in the bottom half of the third with a two-run homer. Fitz-Gerald crushed an 0-1 pitch over the rightfield scoreboard, traveling an estimated 408 feet.
After Fitz-Gerald slugged his first round-tripper of the summer, Princeton’s Fisher Pyatt did the same. Pyatt clubbed the first pitch of the fourth over the fence, pushing the WhistlePigs’ advantage to 4-2.
Princeton’s starter Justin Showalter (1-1) earned the win, pitching six innings. The right-hander from James Madison allowed just two runs. Zane Probst recorded the final three outs, notching his second save.
On the other side, Malik Binns (0-2) fired the first four frames, yielding three earned runs.
With the loss, Kingsport splits the four-game season series against the WhistlePigs.
Next, the Axmen open up a two-game set against the Danville Otterbots on Thursday at Hunter Wright Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.