Wish Granted: Doughboys win in comeback fashion over Princeton 

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn: Donning the Make-A-Wish jerseys, the Doughboys would use a four-run eighth, as well as the second 4,000+ crowd of the season to a 10-7 win over the Princeton WhistlePigs.

The game started off strong for Johnson City, as each of the first three hitters of the game would reach base for the Doughboys. The success would seemingly short out, as the next two hitters would strike out, before Braden Spano would draw a walk to bring in the first run of the day.

Early game runs wouldn't be held to just the first for the Doughboys, as a walk and a pair of singles to lead off the second inning would bring in yet another run, making it 2-0.

The third would flip the script for the WhistlePigs. Just a day after Princeton had three innings of four or more runs, the hit parade started once again.

Princeton would get seven hits and a walk as they'd send 10 to the plate, scoring six in the third, flipping the game from a two run Doughboys lead to a four-run deficit.

Johnson City wouldn't roll over after the six run inning, turning around a three run inning of its own, stringing together a few hits, as well as taking advantage of passed balls to close it back down to a one run game at 6-5.

The Doughboys comeback would look to hit a moot point, as the fourth would be the fourth consecutive inning to start the game in which the Doughboys would score a run. Kyle Harbison would shoot a single into right, bringing in Jonathan Xuereb to tie the ballgame back up at six.

The tie wouldn't last for long, as the WhistlePigs would use stolen bases to their advantage, putting a runner in scoring position and scoring him on a weak bloop hit to right.

The lead would sit through the middle portions of the ballgame, as the Johnson City bullpen would only need two pitchers, Jeremy Weigman and Hayden Cooper, whom would combine for the final 6.2 innings of the game.

Johnson City's offense would go dormant as its pitchers would heat up, only putting one runner on base from the fifth through the seventh innings.

With a raucous crowd at their backs, the Doughboys would use the eighth to change the course of the ballgame.

The first seven hitters of the inning would reach base, six by base hit, with the only out coming on a caught stealing. Colby Backus would be the one to break through on the scoring, sending a double to the base of the scoreboard in left, scoring Cody Miller to tie the game.

The doubles wouldn't stop there, as Jonathan Xuereb would trade places on the basepaths with Backus, giving Johnson City its first lead since the second inning.

The scoring continued for the Doughboys, as a pair of singles and a walk would bring in two more Johnson City runs, pushing the game to a three run Doughboys lead, 10-7.

Hayden Cooper would shut the door on any Princeton comeback, striking out a pair, en route to a 10-7 win.

The win moves the Doughboys to 2-1 on the season, and closes out the opening homestand of the season. Johnson City will travel to Greeneville for a doubleheader starting at 6:00 on Saturday.