Late Rally Comes Up One Run Short

ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists trailed the Brooklyn Cyclones 6-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning on Friday night. Asheville reeled off a run in the seventh and four in the eighth. The Tourists then put runners at second and third with no outs in the ninth. Brooklyn responded with three consecutive strikeouts to end the game and keep the Tourists on the wrong side of a 6-5 final score.

The Tourists managed only one hit through the first six innings; a Tim Borden II double in the second inning. Asheville did put several runners aboard via walks, errors, and hit by pitches; however, a trio of double plays in the first five innings kept the offense off the scoreboard.

The Cyclones scored their first run in the fourth inning on a Sacrifice Fly and added a second run on a leadoff Homer in the fifth. That was the only damage Asheville’s starting pitcher Miguel Ullola allowed.

Brooklyn reeled off four more runs in the top of the seventh to build a 6-0 lead. Tyler Whitaker sparked the Tourists with a leadoff Homer in the seventh. Miguel Palma belted a three-run Home Run in the eighth and Tommy Sacco Jr. added a Sacrifice Fly to bring the home team within a run.

John Garcia led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk and Justin Williams followed with a double. The Tourists had the tying and winning runs at second and third with no outs. Brooklyn’s Eli Ankeney buckled down and struck out the next three Tourists hitters to end the game.

The loss brings Asheville’s playoff elimination magic number down to one with 14 games left to play in the season.