On Tuesday night at Joe O’Brien Field, the Elizabethton Twins held off a late charge by the Pulaski Yankees by an 8-5 tally to earn the 39^th victory of the season.

Twins pitching struck out 15 Pulaski hitters in this one and Twins manager Ray Smith said, “We had to. They had guys on base all night long. If half those guys make contact they score maybe four more runs. It’s all part of the game, you try to get ahead and apply a kill shot when you can. It’s a different game now. Strike them all out I say.”

Twins second baseman Yunior Severino blasted a 3-2 delivery from Pulaski starter Pedro Espinola over the fence in right field to stake Elizabethton to a 1-0 lead. The Twins (39-26) got a gift run in the second when catcher Hemmanuel Rosario allowed a passed ball with the bases loaded allowing Jared Akins to score from third.

Akins singled to open the frame and shortstop Ricky DeLaTorre walked. Leftfielder Lean Marrero then dropped a perfect bunt down the third base line for an infield hit that loaded the bases.

In the third inning, the Twins benefited from a pair of Yankees errors in plating six runs. Gilberto Celestino doubled and with one out catcher Trevor Casanova reached on an infield error putting runners on the corners.

Third baseman Alex Robles drew a walk ending Espinola’s night as he was replaced by righthander Wellington Diaz who came in with the bases full and one out. Akins walked to force in a run and DeLaTorre singled home one more for a 4-0 Betsy advantage.

Marrero then grounded a ball down the first base line into right field where Anthony Garcia saw it go under his glove and when the smoke cleared Marrero slid safely into the plate with a two-run double and a two-base error that cleared the bases.

Now staked to an eight-run lead, young righthander Prelander Berroa – a recent call-up from the GCL – ran into trouble as Garcia doubled to left with one out and designated hitter Mickey Gasper singled him in.

After a walk to Isaiah Pasteur, Smith called on Juan Gamez who walked first baseman Carlos Tatis to load the bases for Pulaski (31-35). Third baseman Max Burt then singled home two runs and another run came across on a throwing error by DeLaTorre to make it an 8-4 contest.

Lefty sidearm pitcher J.T. Perez, another GCL call-up, came on in the top of the seventh in relief of Gamez who went 2.2 innings giving up one run (unearned). He struck out three and walked two.

The lanky lefty gave up a pair of doubles in the eighth to Burt and Griffin Garabito to make it 8-5. With the West Division title in hand, the Twins face Pulaski on Wednesday and then set their sights on Kingsport.

“Well, we have different personnel now than then,” Smith said. “We have moved 14 guys up and a couple down so it’s a big roster change, but you play with what you got.”

E-Twins 8-5

Pulaski 000 400 010 – 5 9 2

E-Twins 116 000 00x – 8 9 2

W – Gamez (1-1) L – Espinola (1-2)