Pulaski rallies to nip Elizabethton, 8-7

In a hard-fought battle, the Pulaski River Turtles take down the Elizabethton River Riders 8-7 on Thursday.

Pulaski got on the board as quickly as you can, as leadoff hitter Rodney Green Jr. homered the first pitch he saw over the right field wall. A groundout by third baseman Ryland Zaborowski then brought in right fielder TJ Fondtain to make it 2-0 heading into the second.

Pulaski then extended their lead to 5-0 thanks to a three-run second. The first run came off a groundout by Green Jr., to bring in second baseman Gage Goddard. An RBI single by Fondtain then brought in left fielder Caleb Hobson. The final run in the inning came off an RBI double by Zaborowski, which brought in shortstop Romeo Ballesteros and make it 5-0 heading into the third.

Elizabethton got on the board in the third, where an error brought in center fielder Brendan Jones and made it 5-1.

The next runs came in the top of the fifth, where Elizabethton put up three runs and came in within one. The lead-off hitter of the inning, right fielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu, hit a homer off the scoreboard in right-center field to make it 5-2. Catcher Reagan Guthrie then hit a 2 RBI single to make it 5-4.

Elizabethton then took the lead in the top of the sixth, where Owusu-Asiedu hit another homer, this time a two-run shot to left-center field.

In the bottom of the sixth, Pulaski answered back. Green Jr, continuing his success, hit an RBI double to bring in first baseman Joe Kinneberg, which tied it up. Then, with bases loaded, Zaborowski was hit by a pitch to give Pulaski the lead.

Pulaski added on their lead in the seventh, where an RBI single by shortstop Romeo Ballesteros brought in Kinneberg to make it 8-6.

In the eighth, Elizabethton came within one off an RBI single by third baseman Harrison Rodgers, but reliever Kobe Head shut down the River Riders in the ninth to make the final 8-7.

The winner on the mound went to reliever Justyn Valdez, as he went one inning, allowing just one run off two hits, while striking out one. The loss went to reliever Andrew Miller, as he went one inning, allowing two runs (none earned) off one hit, while walking one and striking out two.

Pulaski will look for the sweep on Friday, with a rematch against Elizabethon.