FROM STAFF REPORTS

BRISTOL - The Greeneville Astros got the 2009 baseball season off to a good start Tuesday night, beating homestanding Bristol 6-2 asthe Appalachian League began play throughout the area.

Luis Cruz (1-0) was impressive on the mound for the Astros, twirling six innings of hitless and shutout ball. He struck out fourand walked two in his stint on the rubber. A returnee from last season, Cruzr etired the first 13 batters he faced.

David Martinez gave up a couple of runs over the next 1.2innings, but Nathan Pettus came on to get the final out in the eighth and pitched the ninth frame to earn his first save of the year.

Greeneville got on the scoreboard in the second inning with a pair of runs. Luis Alvarez started it with a base hit to start the inning, then stole second. With one out, Oscar Figueroa slapped an infield single to put runners on first and third. With two out, Ryan Humphrey walked to load the sacks, and Grant Hogue got the first RBI of the season with an infield hit. The second run scored on a Bristol error.

The Astros plated two more runs in the third to open a4-0 lead. Nathan Metroka walked to start the inning and Alvarez hit a line drive double to left, putting runners on second and third. Metroka scored on a sacrifice fly to the outfield by Figueroa, and Alvarez later came across on a wild pitch by Bristol starter Nevin Griffith (0-1).

The score remained at 4-0 until the seventh when the Astros took advantage of a two-base Bristol error when Jonathan Meyer bounded aball to shortstop that was thrown away. Metroka followed with a single that scored Meyer.

Bristol got on the board in the bottom of the seventh toclose to 5-1 when Brady Shoemaker doubled off reliever David Martinez and later scored on an infield ground out by Angel Ferreriras.

The Astros got that run back in the top of the eighth togo up 6-1.

Bristol's third error of the game allowed Aaron Bray toreach second base, and he came across on Hogue's one-out single to center.

The Sox got the final run of the contest in the home halfof the eighth.

A double by Lee Fischer, a single by Ryan Lee and Daniel Wagner's sacrifice fly got the run home.

Pettus came on to pitch for the Astros with runners on second and third and two out. After a walk to Brady Shoemaker to load the bases, Pettus got Ferreriras on a strikeout to end the threat.

Pettus allowed a one-out single to Miguel Gonzalez in theninth, but he coaxed Jose Fulgencio into bouncing into a double play to end the game.

Hogue, Metroka and Alvarez had two hits each to pace the Astros at the plate.

The two teams continue the three-game series tonight at 7p.m.

Greeneville returns home Friday night to take on Danville at 7:00.