Doughboys Can't Find Offensive Spark, Shut Down by Sock Puppet Defense in Game One Loss
ApL Johnson City Doughboys

Doughboys Can't Find Offensive Spark, Shut Down by Sock Puppet Defense in Game One Loss

Published on July 7, 2026 under Appalachian League (ApL)
Johnson City Doughboys News Release


BURLINGTON, N.C. - The Johnson City Doughboys fell to the Burlington Sock Puppets on Tuesday night, 5-2, after their late-inning heroics were stopped by incredible home-side defensive play.

Burlington arm Kyle Pearcy got the nod to start the game on the mound and, after a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts, went three innings of no-hit baseball with one earned run.

The Sock Puppets also struck first on the offensive side when Bruce Wyche drilled his second homer of the summer, a 394-foot two-run shot.

Johnson City responded with one run of its own in the top of the third, with Noah Cox, Walter Urbon, and Kenyon Hughes Jr. all drawing walks. Three wild pitches from Pearcy brought Cox in, but the Doughboys left the bases loaded after a lineout.

Then, two more scoring innings led to three straight offensive frames for the Sock Puppets, extending the lead.

Kevin Bruno, in his summer debut, recorded an RBI single on a line drive to center field. Also, in the fourth, two more runs crossed the plate on a Jadyn Nunez two-run triple in only his second game of the season.

This made it 5-1, with Burlington on the verge of winning at home for the first time since June 11th. Julien Hachem kept the game tight, retiring 10 of the 11 batters he faced and striking out four, adding to his incredible performance.

But the Doughboys could only add one more run on a Hughes Jr. single back up the middle. The Sock Puppets recorded three double plays in the final three innings, including one that left the bases juiced in the top of the seventh.

Burlington held on to win game one of the series, with Johnson City moving below .500 after just gaining the record. The season series is now tied at two for both teams after the Sock Puppets' impressive victory.

Notables:

€” Zach Porter had a multi-hit game, with two singles on a 2-for-4 line.

€” The Doughboys only had one RBI hit, that coming from Hughes Jr. all the way in the seventh inning.

€” Johnson City stranded eight runners and did not record a hit until the fifth inning, when Cox singled on a ground ball.

Up Next:

Game two is set for another nightcap battle between the two sides on Wednesday, July 8th, at 7:00 p.m. EST. You can listen live to all of the action at https://www.appyleague.com/johnson-city/audio for the remaining road games of the series.

Also, be sure to follow our Instagram, @jc_doughboys, to see all of the Doughboys content throughout the season!

Check out the Johnson City Doughboys Statistics

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Appalachian League Stories from July 7, 2026


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