The Greeneville Bombers and Strange Marine Detailing and Fiberglass delivered a thrilling finish to the Greeneville Parks and Recreation Minor Boys Tournament. In the end, the Bombers prevailed with an 11-6 victory in extra innings, completing an undefeated season.
The Bombers came out swinging, building a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Strange Marine answered with a run in the bottom half to trim the deficit to 5-1.
The tournament’s No. 3 seed continued to chip away, scoring once in the second before erupting for four runs in the third to take its first lead of the game, 6-5.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the regular-season champion Bombers pushed across the tying run in the fifth to even the score at 6-6. Neither team could break through in the sixth, sending the championship game into extra innings.
Aiden Cremins provided the game’s biggest moment to open the seventh, circling the bases for an inside-the-park home run to put the Bombers back in front 7-6.
Cremins described the moment with a smile. “Great! I don’t think I have ever really felt that good. I have never hit an inside-the-park home run in a championship.”
The Bombers weren’t finished. They tacked on four more runs in the inning, then held Strange Marine scoreless in the bottom half adding some additional hardware to their regular season championship.
Elijah Medrano and Brilynn Smith paced the Bombers’ offense with four hits apiece, each collecting three singles and a double. Cremins finished with a single, triple and the decisive inside-the-park home run.
Kierce Ball and Carson Malone led Strange Marine with three singles each.
