'Hoppers Score Nine in the 6th to Break Open Close Game

GREENSBORO- The Asheville Tourists fell to the Greensboro Grasshoppers 14-3 on Wednesday night, largely thanks to a nine-run outburst by the home team in the bottom of the sixth inning. With the loss, Asheville sits at 1-10 away from home and has dropped six straight road games.

The Tourists fell behind 1-0 when the Grasshoppers hit a solo Home Run in the bottom of the second inning. Asheville rallied back in the bottom of the third with back-to-back base hits from A.J. Lee and Luis Santana. Two batters later, Michael Sandle clubbed a three-run Home Run to centerfield that gave the visitors a 3-1 lead.

Greensboro knotted the score on a two-run Home Run in the bottom of the third. The Grasshoppers then took a 5-3 lead on a two-out RBI double in the fourth. Asheville mounted another rally in the top of the sixth. They had a first and third with one out opportunity and a bases-loaded with two outs situation. Chad Stevens hit a line drive that would have tied the game but Greensboro’s shortstop made an outstanding leaping catch.

The home team then turned around and put nine runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth; mostly against Asheville’s reliever Diosmerky Taveras. The ‘hoppers sent 12 batters to the plate, delivered six hits and worked a trio of walks. Neither team scored the rest of the way.

Sandle and Lee each contributed two hits to Asheville’s six-hit output. The Tourists have not had double digit hits in a game since April 16. Game three of the current series is slated for Thursday night at 6:30pm ET.