Reds Erase Five Run Deficit, Top Yankees 6-5

The Pulaski Yankees scored four runs within the first two innings to chase Greeneville Reds starting pitcher Lyon Richardson from his professional debut, but the Reds rallied with six unanswered runs to top the Pulaski Yankees 6-5 on Saturday. Alexander Vizcaino made his season debut on the mound for Pulaski and tossed 5.1 innings in front of 2,698 fans at Motor Mile Field in Calfee Park. The loss extends Pulaski’s current losing streak to four games.

After three home runs the previous night for the Yankees at Calfee Park, the big flies continued in the first inning. In the second at bat of the night, Jordan Scott launched his first home run of the season beyond the right field wall on a 1-1 count. Next inning, Pulaski tallied a season-high three runs within a single inning. Nelson Gomez scored on a wild pitch during a Cody Brown at bat.

Later in the half inning, Max Burt sent a deep fly ball to the left center field ally way to score Mickey Gasper and Brown, opening Pulaski’s lead to 4-0. The Yankees tacked on a fifth run in the third inning courtesy of back-to-back fielding errors allowing Juan De Leon to circle the cases.

Making his season debut on the mound for the Yankees, Alexander Vizcaino retired the first eight batters he faced to hold Greeneville off the score sheet in the front three frames. Into the fourth inning, the Reds broke through and posted two runs on the board. After Reinel Ozuna singled, he scored courtesy of a Hunter Oliver long ball to make it a 5-2 Yankees lead.

In the sixth inning, a second two-run dinger for the Reds brought Greeneville within one. Ozuna scored his second run of the night after a towering home run over the batter’s eye beyond the center field wall.

Greeneville continued to chip away at the deficit and successfully grabbed the lead in the eighth inning. Bryan Blanton took over the mound for the Yankees after Gilmael Troya tossed 2.1 scoreless innings in relief, and fell into immediate dangers. On the second pitch of Blanton’s outing, pinch hitter Justin Bellinger hit a game-tying RBI double. Next batter, Miguel Hernandez hit his second triple in as many nights against the Yankees, giving the Reds their first lead of the night.

Unlike the previous two nights, the Yankees were unable to rally in the ninth inning and dropped a 6-5 decision to the Reds. The loss puts Pulaski’s record at 1-4 on the 2018 season.

The Pulaski Yankees conclude their three game series with the Greeneville Reds at Calfee Park tomorrow at 7 p.m. It’s the first of two Pregame Paint Parties this season sponsored by Wine & Design, beginning at 4:30pm. Ticket information is available on pulaskiyankees.net.

By Matt Trust / Pulaski Yankees