Three-run first inning lifts Yankees over Royals

The Pulaski Yankees scored three times in the opening inning to bypass the Burlington Royals, 3-1 on Thursday night at Motor Mile Field in Calfee Park. Yanks’ starting pitcher Luis Gil tossed 4.2 innings in his second start of the 2018 season and received the no decision. 

The Yankees loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning with Mickey Gasper at the plate. A wild pitch scored Robert Javier from 90 feet away for the games first run. Gasper concluded the plate appearance with a run scoring groundout to second base, driving home Ezequiel Duran. Next at bat, Nelson Gomez lifted a shallow fly ball to left field for Jackson Lueck. Pulaski manager, Nick Ortiz aggressively sent Pereira to the plate, and he scored successfully on the sacrifice fly to open a 3-0 advantage. 

On the mound, Luis Gil’s lone bump in the road came in the fifth inning. Leadoff hitter Jeison Guzman lifted a 1-0 pitch over the right center field wall for his second homer of the summer. Wellington Diaz replaced Gil on the hill and completed an otherwise uneventful fifth inning. Diaz went the remainder of the distance and was credited with the win and the final line score of 4.1 scoreless innings, two hits, two walks and seven strikeouts on 73 pitches. 

Pulaski added insurance in the sixth inning with a Jordan Scott RBI single. With a runner in scoring position, Scott banked a deep fly ball off the right field wall to score Juan De Leon. Before the hit, De Leon stole second base on his first attempted steal of the season. 

Scott added another RBI single with runners on second and third base and one man retired in the eighth inning. A sharp line drive back to the mound went through the diamond and into center field to score Carlos Narvaez, giving Pulaski a 5-1 lead. Pulaski turned two doubles plays defensively en route to the win. The victory moves Pulaski’s record to 3-6 on the season.

The Yankees and Royals rematch Friday at 7 p.m. for the second of a three game set. It’s Heroes Night at Calfee Park. Come out and help us thank our local heroes presented by ServPro of Pulaski! Police, fire, EMT, volunteer rescue squads, and military members will receive FOUR free General Admission ticket with valid identification. Ticket information is available online at pulaskiyankees.net.