Homestand Begins with a Bang; Tourists Top Grasshoppers 13-6

ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists won for the sixth time in their last seven games with a convincing victory over the Greensboro Grasshoppers, 13-6. Asheville outhit their opponent for the 12th straight game and took Greensboro by surprise with a non-stop offensive outburst.

After Jaime Melendez sat down the Grasshoppers in the top of the first inning, JC Correa cranked a double off the centerfield wall on the first pitch he saw. Shay Whitcomb followed with a single to left and Luke Berryhill walked to load the bases. Justin Dirden hit a two-run single to centerfield and Yainer Diaz added an RBI single to the three-run first inning.

Whitcomb helped the Tourists tack on two more in the second with a double and another two runs in the third with an RBI single. C.J. Stubb’s double helped Asheville score a run in the fourth while Whitcomb and Berryhill both doubled home runs in the fifth. Asheville led 10-1 after five.

Diaz plated another run in the sixth with an RBI double and added a solo Home Run in the eighth; his fourth longball in his first four games with the team. Greensboro was able to score a pair of runs in the fifth inning and the Grasshoppers plated three in the sixth; however, the game was never in doubt.

Jonathan Sprinkle closed the door with five strikeouts over 2.2 innings pitched out of the bullpen. Danny Cody also struck out five in his 3.1 innings of work. Asheville hit a season-high nine doubles in the game. All nine players in the Tourists lineup recorded at least one hit.

Whitcomb finished 4-for-5 with four RBI while Diaz was 3-for-4 with three runs batted in and three runs scored. The Tourists and Grasshoppers will face off in game two of the series Wednesday night at 6:35pm ET.