Eighth Inning Rally, Tourists Fall Short 10-6
August 31, 2008 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Asheville Tourists News Release
ASHEVILLE - For the second night in a row, the Tourists worked a little magic in the eighth inning, but three Augusta insurance runs in the ninth were enough to sink Asheville 10-6 in front of the season's second largest crowd at McCormick Field - 4,206.
Trailing 7-2 headed into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Tourists sent ten hitters to the plate and tallied four off the GreenJackets bullpen. With one out and two runners aboard, Brian Rike doubled to right field to clear the bases and start the comeback. After a Beau Seabury sacrifice fly, Everth Cabrera walked to load the bases for Warren Schaeffer, who also walked to bring the deficit to one. Jeffrey Cunningham, who walked to lead off the inning, struck out looking with the bases loaded and was promptly ejected while arguing the call to end the inning and the threat for Asheville.
That was as close as the Tourists would get though, as Augusta struck back for a trio of their own in the ninth. With one out and two on, Dan Duggan tripled home a pair of runs and then scored on Nick Noonan's sacrifice fly, which pushed the GreenJackets lead back to 10-6. T. J. Webb worked the final 1.1 innings to pick up his first save of the season.
The GreenJackets jumped out to a sizeable lead in the early going, picking up a pair in the first off Robinson Fabian. Juan Ciriaco's solo home run was the big blast of the inning with the second run coming on a bases loaded walk to Dayton Buller. Both runs scored with two outs. Fabian would leave the game in favor of Joey Williamson after just one inning of work.
Rike put the Tourists on the board in the second with an RBI single, part of a 2-4 night. The Tourists also scored a run in the fourth on David Christensen's RBI double to right-center. In between, Augusta would extend their lead in the third on a two-RBI single by Andrew Davis and a run scoring on a Cabrera throwing error. Augusta would extend the lead in the sixth on an Angel Villalona single and again in the eighth on a Thomas Neal base hit before Asheville began their rally.
Fabian (4-6) picked up the loss for the Tourists, allowing two runs - one earned - on three hits and a walk in his only inning of work. TJ Brewer (10-4) threw six strong innings for the 'Jackets, allowing just a pair of runs while scattering seven hits and three walks. Brewer was aided by seven strikeouts.
The rubber match of this series takes place on the final day of the regular season. Christian Friedrich (0-1, 11.57) gets the start for the Tourists while Augusta's starter is still to be determined. It's another Capital Banks Mega Money Monday, with the first 750 fans in attendance receiving envelopes that contain Tourists Bucks, ticket vouchers and even a little cold, hard cash. Remember, this is the last game to use flex tickets of any kind in the 2008 season; flex tickets are not valid for postseason action at McCormick Field. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. and the game can also be heard on the Tourists flagship station WRES-FM, 100.7.
The Asheville Tourists are the Single-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. Tickets are available by contacting the front office at (828)-258-0428 or on the website, www.theashevilletourists.com.
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South Atlantic League Stories from August 31, 2008
- Hoppers Walk Off With Win - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Captains Drop Fourth Straight - Lake County Captains
- Eighth Inning Rally, Tourists Fall Short 10-6 - Asheville Tourists
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- Drive Cruise Past Crawdads, 9-2 - Greenville Drive
- Fish Reel in Braves - Rome Emperors
- Captains Fall in 10 Innings - Lake County Captains
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