Twins open series with win over Pulaski

Mickey Gasper launched a two-run homer for the second consecutive night, but the Pulaski Yankees opened the series with a 7-6 defeat to the Elizabethton Twins on Friday night at Calfee Park.

On just the fifth pitch of the ballgame, the Twins were off and running on the scoreboard. Yunior Severino blasted a deep flyball off the batter’s eye in centerfield for his fourth homer of the season. Next inning, Elizabethton doubled their lead courtesy of a sacrifice fly by Jared Akins to score Gilberto Celestino.

In the third, Elizabethton scored twice more on RBI singles by Trevor Larnach and Celestino. The Yankees answered in the bottom half to break four unanswered runs by the Twins. Evan Alexander received credit for a RBI on a groundout scoring Jordan Scott.

Into the fourth, Severino drove in his second run of the night with a RBI single scoring Yeltsin Encarnacion to reclaim his club’s four-run advantage. The Yankees responded, loading the bases with one out in the bottom half, bringing the tying run to the plate. After Jordan Scott popped out, David Metzgar cashed in with a RBI single in his first at bat with the bases loaded this season.

The scoring affair continued into the fifth inning with a big fly by Mickey Gasper. With Anthony Seigler on base, Gasper went yard for the second straight night to left center field, cutting Pulaski’s deficit to 5-4.

Pulaski came all the way back and tied the game at 5-5 after loading the bases with no outs in the sixth. Robert Javier lifted a deep flyball to left centerfield for the sacrifice fly. It remarkably took until the seventh inning for both teams to be held scoreless in a single inning.

In the eighth, the Twins reclaimed the lead with a deep drive to right center. After Akins singled, Robert Molina went yard off Jhonatan Munoz to give Elizabethton a 7-5 advantage. The Yankees pulled within one once more in the bottom half when David Metzgar grounded into a force out scoring Carlos Narvaez on a throwing error.  

The Yankees continue their six-game homestand tomorrow with the second match of a three-game set against the Elizabethton Twins. It’s Estevan Florial Bobblehead Night at Calfee Park. First 500 fans will receive an Estevan Florial Pulaski Yankees bobblehead presented by Collision Plus. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Calfee Park.