Flyboys score early in 8-3 win against Danville

July 17th, 2021

DANVILLE – A four-run top of the first inning proved to be all the offense needed for Greeneville on Friday night as the Flyboys rebounded with an 8-3 victory against the Danville Otterbots at Legion Field.

Greeneville (20-12-1) joins Princeton and Pulaski as the only teams to reach the 20-win mark so far this season. The Flyboys remain two games ahead of Bristol for the top spot in the Appalachian League West Division standings.

The Flyboys opened the scoring in the top of the first inning as Kyle Karros delivered a run-scoring double that allowed Homer Bush, Jr. to score and make it 1-0. Eddie Micheletti gave Greeneville a 2-0 lead with a groundout that allowed Jac Croom to score, while Jonathan Hogart capped the scoring with a two-run single that extended the advantage to 4-0.

Danville answered with a two-run home in the bottom of the frame as Carter Sanford sent a ball over the wall in center field to trim the deficit to 4-2. The Flyboys would match the Otterbots with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning to push the lead to 6-2 following a run-scoring groundout and wild pitch.

Greeneville starter Connor Harris worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the third inning on the mound before navigating around a pair of hits by the Otterbots in the fourth inning. Croom pushed the Greeneville lead to 7-2 with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning as Bush, Jr. scored from third after advancing two bases on a failed pickoff attempt.

Hogart produced his third run of the night for the Flyboys as his single plated Micheletti to make it 8-2 in the top of the eighth inning. Danville answered with a run in the bottom of the frame as a sacrifice fly trimmed the gap to 8-3.

Mason Turner recorded three outs on the mound for Greeneville in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure the 8-3 victory for the Flyboys. Derrick Rabb recorded his first win of the season for Greeneville after tossing a scoreless fifth inning. Harris was handed with the no-decision after scattering five hits and two runs through four innings of work.

Bush, Jr. and Hogart each finished with two-hit nights for Greeneville, while four other batters in the Flyboys lineup recorded a hit. Croom worked a pair of walks on the night while tallying a pair of runs batted in and one run scored.

Greeneville heads to Princeton on Saturday to open a two-game series against the WhistlePigs before returning to Pioneer Park on July 20th for a pair of West Division matchups against Bristol.

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