Dramatic Finish Ends with All Too Familiar Loss

ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists have dropped a handful of games this season in which they held sizable leads. Wednesday night was the latest defeat in a similar instance. Asheville jumped out to a 7-0 lead against the first place Rome Braves. The visitors scored nine unanswered and held on in the bottom of the ninth to beat the Tourists 10-9.

Asheville plated six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Zach Daniels drew a bases loaded walk; Chad Stevens hit an RBI Fielder’s Choice; both Luis Santana and Justin Williams hit two-run singles. Rome’s starting pitcher did not make it out of the inning.

Miguel Palma padded the lead with an RBI single in the third to score Stevens; however, Asheville would not score again until the eighth. Rome began their comeback with three runs in the fourth that included a two-out two-run double. The Braves tacked on another in the fifth.

In the top of the seventh, the Tourists came apart. Rome worked five walks and took advantage of two wild pitches to not only tie the game but take the lead 9-7. Joey Loperfido hit a solo Home Run in the bottom of the eighth to sway the momentum back Asheville’s way. Unfortunately, Rome hit a solo Home Run of their own in the top of the ninth.

The Tourists mounted one last comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Asheville loaded the bases with two outs and Williams worked a walk to bring the Tourists back to within a run at 10-9. Kenedy Corona, who had two hits in the game, worked a full count before swinging and missing at the final pitch of the game to leave the bases loaded.

Asheville’s bullpen allowed eight runs in 5.1 innings while Rome’s relievers combined to throw 8.1 frames and held the Tourists offense to three runs.

Tourists Game Recaps are presented by Jackson Electrical Contractors, Inc