ApL Kingsport Axmen

Kingsport Runs into Trouble against Pulaksi

June 18, 2021 - Appalachian League (ApL)
Kingsport Axmen News Release


KINGSPORT, TN - The Kingsport Axmen dropped, 15-7, to the Pulaski River Turtles Thursday night in front of 883 fans at Hunter Wright Stadium.

Pulaski (5-7) plated 14 unanswered runs across the final three frames, rallying from a six-run deficit to stun the Axmen (4-8) on their home turf.

Kingsport jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings and extended its cushion to six after six frames, but the Axmen defense faltered. Kingsport issued nine walks and committed three errors, resulting in extra Pulaski chances.

With the Axmen up, 7-1, with two outs in the seventh, the River Turtles capitalized on a pair of defensive miscues. After back-to-back errors, Pulaski rightfielder John Bay (Oklahoma State) smacked a towering three-run homer to cut Kingsport's advantage in half.

One inning later, the River Turtles made the Axmen pay.

Pulaski catcher Irvin Escobar (Bethune-Cookman) cashed in with an RBI double, making it a two-run game.

After back-to-back walks loaded the bases, Bay socked his second home run in as many innings. The Oklahoma State Cowboy cleared the bags with a grand slam, giving Pulaski a 9-7 advantage.

However, the River Turtles weren't done.

Pulaski tallied five hits and sent 11 hitters to the plate in the ninth, driving in six runs to cap off the scoring for the night.

Axmen designated hitter Nick Barnes (Georgia Gwinnett) clubbed his team-leading third home run in the defeat. Barnes' majestic blast in the fifth left the bat at 105 mph and traveled an estimated 427 feet.

Kingsport's Cole Kirschsieper (Illinois) dazzled in his first start of the summer. The southpaw tossed three scoreless innings, recording a season-high seven strikeouts. Kirschsieper allowed just three baserunners in his fourth appearance.

The Axmen will look to get revenge against the River Turtles at 7 p.m. Friday in Kingsport. All Axmen games are broadcast here with a video stream available online for home games.

Check out the Kingsport Axmen Statistics



Appalachian League Stories from June 18, 2021


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