Tourists Win Fifth Straight With 9-7 Triumph over Grasshoppers

ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists defeated the Greensboro Grasshoppers 9-7 on Friday night for their fifth consecutive victory. The Tourists held a 6-1 lead before the Grasshoppers rallied to tie the game late. Asheville bounced back with one final rally and picked up the win.

Michael Sandle opened the scoring in the bottom of the third inning with a 400-foot Grand Slam to left field. The blast put the Tourists in front 4-0 and that was plenty of support for starting pitcher Michael Knorr.

The right-hander pitched 4.2 innings, allowed only one hit, struck out nine, and did not give up a run. Kasey Ford retired the final batter of the fifth and Edinson Batista entered the game in the sixth.

The Grasshoppers scored an unearned run off Batista but the Tourists countered with a Miguel Palma Sacrifice Fly and a Ryan Clifford RBI single. The 6-1 lead was then erased in the top of the seventh on a Greensboro RBI single and then a game-tying Grand Slam.

With the contest knotted up 6-6, Asheville recaptured the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Palma clubbed an RBI double to score Zach Dezenzo from first. A few batters later, Tommy Sacco Jr. connected with a two-run single. The Grasshoppers plated one in the ninth but a flyout ended their rally.

Dezenzo reached base five times, scored three runs, and stole three bases to pace the offense. Zach is batting .404 which leads the South Atlantic League. Ronny Garcia pitched the final two innings and earned his second win of the season.