Zebo’s Ninth Inning Double Fuels Walk-off Versus Tourists

ROME, Ga. - Three runs in the bottom of the ninth, courtesy of Nick Ward and Adam Zebrowski, kept the Emperors alive Wednesday night before E.J. Exposito’s single won the ball game in the tenth, 6-5.

Again, it was Asheville striking first via a single, double, and triple in the top of the third inning off Cory Wall. Wall, like Frey a night ago, would settle down and get through five. Kevin Kilpatrick’s two-out walk in the third marked his sixth straight time reaching base safely and was the catalyst for back-to-back base hits from Compton and Grady to tie the game at 2.

Isaac Gallegos was the first arm out of the pen in relief of Cory Wall, and gave up three consecutive hits, including a three-run homerun to Luis Encarnacion, to the top of Asheville’s order. Samuel Strickland took over in the seventh and wouldn’t give up a hit over two scoreless innings, lowering his ERA to 1.83. Jared Johnson held the deficit in the top of the ninth in hopes of a comeback later that inning.

Johnson’s wish would come true. In the home half of the ninth, trailing by three, Nick Ward led off with his first triple since August of 2019. A Jacob Godman sacrifice fly would cut the lead to two. Consecutive walks to Compton and Grady with two outs put Zebrowski in the spotlight with a chance to tie the game and he would not disappoint. A double, his tenth of the year, would bring both runners home and force extras.

Jared Johnson stayed in to work the tenth as well, managing to eliminate the ghost runner and stack a zero. Then, with Paolini stationed at second base, E.J. Exposito’s single through the middle would send the Rome faithful home with smiles.

Now with a 2-0 series lead, Rome eyes Thursday night’s game three which is set for 7:00pm EDT tomorrow night.