Pulaski scores five in eighth inning in losing effort

The Pulaski Yankees chipped a six-run deficit to just one in the eighth inning, but were unable to find the equalizer and fell 9-8 to the Danville Braves on Monday night.

The slug fest started in the first inning with Henry Quintero tripling in a run scoring Greg Cullen to make it 1-0 Danville. In the bottom of the fourth, the Yankees grabbed a 2-1 courtesy of a 2-run shot by Nelson Gomez with Mickey Gasper on base. The big fly was Gomez’ team-leading ninth of the season.

The Braves tacked on three runs in the fifth to grab a 4-2 advantage after a run scoring groundout by Cullen, a RBI single by Brett Langhorne and a RBI double by Quintero. Pulaski cut the deficit to one after an Everson Pereira run scoring groundout in the bottom half.

In the sixth, Danville scored their first two of an eventual five unanswered runs to grab a commanding lead. Cullen singled to center field off the tip of Pereira’s diving, out-stretched glove allowing Rusber Estrada and Nicholas Shumpert to score. In the eighth, both Cullen and Langhorne grabbed their third RBI of the night. First, Cullen scored Estrada on a sacrifice fly and Langhorne doubled home Carlos Baerga, Jr. and Luis Mejia to make it a 9-3 came.

But just as Pulaski appeared to be defeated in the later innings, the Yankees rallied back with five runs in the eighth. Nelson Gomez drove in his third run of the night with a RBI double scoring Ezequiel Duran, followed by a RBI double by Juan De Leon. Max Burt tripled to score De Leon, and Pereira tripled to plate Burt and Anthony Seigler. Mickey Gasper nearly evened the score with two outs in the eighth by almost beating out a chopper to the right side of the infield, but was called out on a close play. The Yankees were unable to find the tying run in the ninth inning and fell by a 9-8 final.

The Pulaski Yankees conclude their three-game set against the Danville Braves with the rubber match tomorrow at 7pm at Calfee Park.