Facing elimination in the Best-of-Three series with Kingsport in the Appalachian League playoffs, a loss would send Greeneville home.
In the bottom of the 2nd with two outs, Kingsport's Michael Bernal doubled, Amed Rosario walked, and a wild pitch put runners on the corners, but Champ Stuart popped out to preserve the scoreless tie. Greeneville answered immediately with an Ariel Ovando homer to lead off the 3rd, followed by a Thomas Lindauer double, a Brett Phillips bunt single, and a Tanner Mathis double to make it 2-0. Consecutive sac flies put Greeneville up 4-0 in the 3rd.
Kingsport left runners on the corners again in the 4th, and Tanner Mathis homered in the 5th to make it 5-0 Gastros, and they would go on to win 7-2.
Chris Lee threw 5IP, 5H/1ER, 4K:2BB, 2WP; Austin Chrismon allowed 3H/1ER, 5K:0BB in 3IP; Gerardo Ramirez threw a perfect 9th.
Thomas Lindauer was 3x4 with a double; Tanner Mathis was 2x4 with a homer, 2RBI and three runs scored; Ariel Ovando was 1x2 with a homer, 2RBI, and a walk.
Man of the Match: Tanner Mathis
Game 3 of the best-of-three is tonight at Kingsport at 7pm Eastern.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
