Bluefield scores late to take game one vs. Yankees

BLUEFIELD, Va. –  The Bluefield Blue Jays scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to defeat the Yankees 4-2 in game one of the series Saturday night and snap Pulaski’s three-game win streak.

After the Blue Jays scored on a groundout in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead, the Yankees countered with two in the top of the second to jump out to a 2-1 advantage they would hold until the bottom of the fifth. Juan De Leon doubled on a line drive to left field to score Mickey Gasper before an RBI groundout from Robert Javier plated the Yanks’ second run of the ballgame.

In the bottom of the fifth, Bluefield even the game after Cal Stevenson scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-2.

The game would remain tied until the bottom of the eighth when Bluefield’s Davis Schneider delivered the deciding blow – a two-run single to right field that scored Jose Theran and Luis De Los Santos.

Bluefield scored four runs on seven hits and two Yankees’ errors, while Pulaski scored two runs on five hits and one Blue Jays’ error. De Leon recorded an RBI for his third consecutive game and Gasper went 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored. Yankees’ starter Pedro Espinola hurled four innings allowing two hits and one run while striking out two.

Pulaski will look to get back in the win column and even the series Sunday evening with a 6 p.m. first pitch from Bluefield. RHP Luis Gil (1-1, 2.14 ERA) will take the mound for the Yankees against Bluefield’s RHP Eric Pardinho (2-2, 2.82 ERA).