BY IVAN SANDERS

STAR STAFF

ivan.sanders@elizabethton.com

After taking down the Greeneville Reds over the weekend in a three-game sweep, the Elizabethton Twins had to be feeling pretty confident going into Monday’s opening game of a three-game road series with the Pulaski Yankees.

Unfortunately for the E-Twins, the Yankees rode a three-homerun effort to stymie Elizabethton’s shot at a fourth win in a row to take an 8-4 win.

With the scoreboard reading 0-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning, Pulaski’s Ryder Green staked the home team to a 1-0 advantage as he lifted a ball over the right-center field fence on a pitch from Prelander Berroa.

The Yankees extended that advantage to 3-0 in the bottom half of the third inning as Berroa gave up another long ball to Pulaski as this time Nelson Alvarez took a pitch yard again over the right-center field wall make the score 2-0.

Pulaski wasn’t done, however, adding another run when Oliver Dunn drove in Anthony Volpe on a single to Twins center fielder Willie Joe Garry Jr. to extend the lead to 3-0.

The score remained that way until the top of the sixth inning when Elizabethton finally broke the ice scoring a single run.

With Tyler Webb and Charlie Mack on base, Janigson Villalobos stroked a double to left field allowing Webb to race home.

Mack attempted to score as well but left fielder Madison Santos made the perfect throw to cutoff man Volpe at shortstop and Volpe gunned Mack out at the plate with catcher Saul Torres applying the tag.

Looking to gain some extension in their lead, the Yankees added a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame.

Green was in the mix once again as he ripped a line drive toward Twin second baseman Mack chasing Dunn across the dish making it a 4-1 Yankee lead.

After making the excellent fielding play, Santos came up big at the plate as his single to right field allowed Green to come around from second base making it a 5-1 Pulaski lead.

After the E-Twins failed to respond to the runs in the top of the seventh inning, it was Santos again doing damage to the E-Twins hopes of taking the game as he smashed a two-run home run that picked up Green who reached in front of him to make it a 7-1 contest.

The Yankees tacked on a run in the bottom of the eighth on a fielder’s choice groundout allowed Chad Bell to score giving Pulaski the 8-1 edge.

Elizabethton tried to make it interesting in the top of the ninth inning.

Garry Jr. got things rolling when he singled off relief pitcher Elvis Peguero to lead off the inning.

Spencer Steer went down on a strikeout bringing Will Holland to the plate. Facing a 3-2 count, Holland connected on his first professional home run to make it an 8-3 Pulaski lead.

Seth Gray followed Holland up by going yard as well for back-to-back homers to cut the lead in half at 8-4.

The long-ball also was Gray’s first home run of the season.

Peguero settled to retire Matt Wallner on a fly-ball out and Trevor Jensen grounded out to bring the contest to an end.

Elizabethton out-hit the Yankees 13-10 but five errors didn’t provide any help in the loss.

Webb and Garry Jr. led the hit attack for the E-Twins with three hits each in the contest while Steer and Wallner contributed two base knocks apiece.

Berroa (0-1) took the loss on the mound giving up six hits, five runs, and fanning five Pulaski batters.

The two teams tangled again on Tuesday night and will finish up the series tonight before coming home to host the Kingsport Mets Thursday night.

Fans are reminded of the fireworks show at the completion of Thursday’s contest.