Asheville relievers cut Hoppers' comeback short

Published on May 17, 2006 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greensboro Grasshoppers News Release

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Asheville bounced back from losses in the first two games of the series to beat the Greensboro Grasshoppers 7-5 Wednesday night at First Horizon Park.

The Tourists jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second inning and held off several Hoppers rallies to win. After Greensboro cut the lead to 6-5 in the bottom of the seventh inning, James Burok retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth and Brett Strickland did the same in the ninth inning.

Zach Simons (4-2) picked up the win for the Tourists while Strickland recorded his seventh save.

Cole Garner had two hits, including a solo home run that provided an insurance run in the ninth inning, and scored three times for Asheville.

Rafael Septimo had three of the Hoppers' eight hits and scored twice. Kris Harvey hit his seventh home run of the season, and fourth of the series, in the sixth inning for Greensboro.

Ryan Tucker (0-4) took the loss for the Hoppers. Tucker and reliever Jason Iehl walked 10 Asheville batters, which figured into several Tourist runs.

In the second inning, Nelson Robledo had a two-run single and Dexter Fowler a two-run triple for the Tourists to stake them to a 4-0 lead.

Greensboro picked up two runs in the fifth on James Van Houten's double, another in the sixth on Harvey's homer and two in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Guerrero and an Asheville error.

But the Hoppers never took the lead, and Burok and Strickland were perfect in relief for the Tourists.

Greensboro fell to 19-19 on the season while Asheville improved to 21-17.

The teams wrap up the series with a 7 o'clock game tonight at First Horizon.

South Atlantic League Stories from May 17, 2006

• Drive Cruise Past Legends, 20-4 - Greenville Drive
• Drive Throttle Legends - Lexington Legends
• Crew goes three for four in Power loss - Charleston Dirty Birds
• Tourists take game three - Asheville Tourists
• Columbus Drops Fourth Straight Against Rome, 6-1 - Columbus Catfish
• Asheville relievers cut Hoppers' comeback short - Greensboro Grasshoppers
• Jones' Blast Lifts Charleston as RiverDogs Exterminate Sand Gants, 5-2 - Charleston RiverDogs
• Suns rise early, coast to 9-5 win - Hagerstown Suns
• I's Shut out by Crawdads - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
• Evans, Suns down Captains - Lake County Captains
• Bark in the Park scheduled for Sunday - Savannah Sand Gnats
• Romak Joins Team - Rome Emperors

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