Kingsport bats go cold in Game 2 loss to WhistlePigs

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – For an offense that was ranked fourth in the Appalachian League in runs scored, the Kingsport bats simply just went cold Sunday night at Hunter Wright Stadium.

Holding the Axmen to just two runs on three hits, the WhistlePigs picked up their second win on the season defeating the Axmen (3-3) by a final of 5-2 in the seven-inning contest.

The WhistlePigs (2-4) struck first in the contest in the top of the third inning. Chris Leone (SUNY Stony Brook) singled to open the inning followed by a Blake Mayberry (St. John’s) walk. A passed ball by the Kingsport catcher, Shea McGahan (Johnson County Community College), allowed Leone and Mayberry to each move up a base. The next batter, Mike Koszewski (Kansas), scored Leone on an RBI groundout. A throwing error by McGahan brought home Mayberry to give the WhistlePigs a 2-0 lead through three innings.

Kingsport evened the contest in the bottom of the fourth inning after Mike Mancini (James Madison) singled with two outs and Cole Swift (Radford) tripled to right field to score Mancini. Swift scored later in the inning on a wild pitch by the Princeton starter Cole McDaniel (Shorter).

Princeton reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth against Kingsport reliever Ricky Reeth (Notre Dame). Mayberry singled with one out, followed by a Beauchamp walk. The next batter, Koszewski, grounded into a force out, that resulted in an overthrow from the Kingsport shortstop Payton Allen trying to throw out Mayberry at third. Koszewski then took off trying to steal second and was able to get up to third on another McGahan throwing error. He then scored on a Jesse Robinson Jr. (VCU) double.

Ben Beauchamp (St. John’s), who homered in last night’s contest, went yard again to extend the Princeton lead to 5-2 in the top of the seventh, where the game ultimately stayed for good.

Andrew Cotten (ETSU) was credited with the win for the WhistlePigs, his second of the season, while Reeth was given the loss for Kingsport. Caden Parker (Maryland-Eastern Shore) picked up his first save of the year. McDaniel threw 3 2/3 innings, giving up two hits, two runs and striking out three. The first three innings of McDaniel’s outing were hitless. For Kingsport, Kaleb Townsend (Johnson) faced two batters in the seventh and struck them both out.

Monday will be a league-wide off day for the Appalachian League. Kingsport will travel to Pioneer Park to take on the Greeneville Flyboys for a two-game series on Tuesday and Wednesday. First pitch for both games is set for 7 p.m.