Offensive Surge Provides Tourists With Much Needed Road Win

GREENSBORO- The Asheville Tourists showcased one of their best offensive efforts on the road all season Thursday night when they took down the Greensboro Grasshoppers, claiming their first win of the series. While it was a team effort throughout, both Alex Holderbach and Cesar Salazar recorded season-high four-hit games.

The offensive frenzy did not start immediately for either team. Tourists starting pitcher Juan Pablo Lopez tossed two scoreless innings to start the game before giving up four runs on four hits in the bottom of the third. Greensboro starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft matched the efforts, giving up just one run through three innings.

The top of the third signaled the start of the offensive production with a Matthew Barefoot RBI single lined into left field, scoring Salazar who had previously reached third on a wild pitch. While one run was all Asheville was able to plate in the third, the Tourists were far from finished.

The one-run lead was short-lived as Greensboro came alive with some offensive production of their own. After a solo-shot and several RBI singles, Asheville found themselves in a 4-1 hole heading into the fourth inning. It was then when the Tourists’ bats started to heat up. RBI singles from Shay Whitcomb, Alex Holderbach, Cesar Salazar and Enmanuel Valdez can be credited for helping Asheville regain their lead by a score of 6-4.

After an opposing-team homer and a throwing error in the ensuing half-inning, the Tourists saw their lead vanish, finding themselves back in a one-run deficit. It was the top of the fifth inning when the Tourists took a lead and never looked back. The long-ball became contagious as Deury Carasco started the party and Holderbach, Salazar and Valdez joined in with two homeruns each.

Yeremi Ceballos was credited with the win, throwing 1.1 innings and giving up just one hit and one earned run. Also showing up on the bump when his team needed him was Jose Bravo, who threw 5 shutout innings, allowing just three hits and zero runs.

The Tourists efforts proved to be effective as they finished the game with a six-run lead over Greensboro, separation that they’ve had trouble creating on the road in previous attempts. Asheville looks to continue their win streak tomorrow night in game 4 of 6, with the first pitch slated for 6:30 PM EST.