Pitcher's Duel Goes to the Braves

ROME- The Asheville Tourists dropped a well-pitched game to the Rome Braves 4-1 on Saturday night. Neither team led by more than one run until the final inning when the Braves added a couple insurance runs.

Brayan De Paula shook off a slow start to pitch four solid innings. His only blemish was a run the Braves scored in the bottom of the first inning on a wild pitch. De Paula worked around traffic the next three innings and Jacob Melton’s fourth inning solo Home Run tied the game 1-1.

Michael Knorr relieved De Paula and also pitched around a number of Braves base-runners. In the bottom of the seventh, Rome received their first hit with runners in scoring position; an RBI single into right field. The Braves finished the game 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position.

Asheville’s best chance came in the top of the eighth. The Tourists put runners at first and third with one out but a double-play groundout ended the threat. Rome tacked on a two-run Home Run in the bottom of the eighth and Asheville went down in order in the ninth.

The Tourists were held to five hits and in the game and drew only one walk. Both teams combined for 25 strikeouts. The series wraps up on Sunday afternoon at 1:00pm ET.