Emperors Ward off Shutout, Wilt After Five-Run Ninth
June 26, 2025 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Rome Emperors News Release
Rome Emperors on the base paths
(Rome Emperors)
ROME, Ga - For seven innings Wednesday night the Emperors and the Drive shared just two total bases with Greenville operating with a 1-0 lead, but their five-run ninth all but killed Rome's chances in game two.
Starter Jacob Kroeger's evening went as about as well as one could have hoped aside from a couple of two-out walks in the early going. For the second consecutive night, the Emperors were the beneficiaries of a six-inning quality start; Herick Hernandez's six shutout innings provided a great lift in game one and Kroeger's final line in game two read: six innings, one hit, one earned, three walks, and five strikeouts.
One of those two-out walks came in the first inning and developed into the first run of the game; Nelly Taylor Jr. worked the count full and proceeded to steal second base off Kroeger before coming home on Nazzan Zanetello's single to left field. Then, on a streak very similar to Hernandez's on Tuesday, Kroeger sat down 15 of the next 16 Greenville bats and 10 in a row at one point. A seventh-inning walk to open the frame signaled the end of Kroeger's night after 84 pitches.
Offensively, the Emperors' first base hit waited until the bottom of the fifth to come to fruition. Mac Guscette's screamer back to the mound ricocheted off the cleat of Greenville's starting pitcher, Blake Aita, finally putting a matchstick in the hit column for Rome. Aita, the Kennesaw State product, was Wednesday's winning pitcher after striking out a career-high 8 Emperors over six innings.
In the ninth, Logan Samuels was on to hold a one run deficit and retired two of the first three batters before the wheel fell off. Five runs (three earned) would come around to score off Samuels on five hits (four with two outs), and Bourassa was called upon to get the 27th out.
Game three is set for Thursday at 7:00PM ET. Rome sends Riley Frey (0-3, 5.00 ERA) to the hill and Greenville sends Brandon Clarke (0-1, 2.51 ERA).
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 Rome Emperors on the base paths |
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