Princeton WhistlePigs hold on to defeat Pulaski River Turtles, 9-7

Bluefield Daily Telegraph, W.Va.
·2 min read

Jun. 11—PULASKI, Va. — The Princeton WhistlePigs remain the only unbeaten team in the Appalachian League.

Princeton rapped out 12 hits and emerged with a 9-7 win over the Pulaski River Turtles at historic Calfee Park in an Appalachian League road game that dragged on for nearly 3 1/2 hours.

Bluefield's Thursday night game against Danville was postponed due to the erratic, rainy weather. The two teams are slated to play a doubleheader tonight at Bowen Field. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.

Pulaski scored first in the bottom of the second managing, plating John Bay on a Irvin Escobar's bases-loaded groundout.

The WhistlePigs tied the game up at 1-all in the top of the fourth inning on an RBI single by Central Florida's Andrew Brait, exploding for three runs in the top of the fifth inning. RBI singles by Brady Day and Nico Popa and a sacrifice fly by Dylan Rogers made it 4-1 Princeton's way. Tre Morris added a double to that rally.

Princeton added three more runs in the top of the sixth inning, getting RBI singles from Fisher Pyatt and Tommy Myint while Nathan Holt contributed an RBI double to put the WhistlePigs up 7-1.

Pulaski cut it to 7-2 in the bottom of the sixth, plating a run on an error. An RBI double in the top of the seventh by Princeton's Jack Rubenstein made it 8-2.

The lead tightened to 8-4 in the bottom of the seventh after Mark Trotta's two-RBI single for Pulaski. A two-run blast from the River Turtles' Ross Lovich in the bottom of the eighth made it an 8-6 game and tightened the screws on the WhistlePigs bullpen.

Rogers scored on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth to buy the 'Pigs a smidge more breathing room.

Bay challenged Princeton closer Eli Wright with a lead-off triple, eventually scoring on the second out of the game. But Wright extracted himself from the seat of heat, giving up a single and a double before collecting the third out and the save.

Evan Porter collected the victory in relief in spite of serving the pitch that Lovich murdered. He struck out three and walked none.

WhistlePigs starter Tyler LeBlanc allowed one earned run over his four-inning shift, striking out four and walking two before he exited with the no-decision.

Holt went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI for Princeton. Popa finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored and Morris went 2-for-4 with the double.

The WhistlePigs are slated to return to Pulaski tonight for another 7 p.m. game at Calfee Park, weather permitting.