SAL1 Asheville Tourists

Hoppers Hit Parade Sinks Asheville

Published on August 17, 2008 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Asheville Tourists News Release


ASHEVILLE - The softball game started early at McCormick Field on Sunday for the final Kid's Club day of the season. With the Asheville Police Department scheduled to play the North Carolina State Troopers in a softball match-up following the Tourists/Greensboro game, it was a softball style 14-8 Greensboro win at McCormick Field to set the stage. The two teams combined for 35 hits in the saga on Sunday as the Grasshoppers erased an early 6-1 deficit.

Asheville (76-50) took a 3-1 lead on a Darin Holcomb double in the third inning and the Tourists used a five run third inning to give starting pitcher Robinson Fabian a 6-1 lead. The Grasshoppers would battle back in the fourth with a homerun by first-round pick Matt Dominquez, his 13th homerun of the season

Fabian (4-5) would manage 4 1/3 innings pitched and allowed eight runs on nine hits with four strikeouts before being lifted for Sheng-An Kuo. Greensboro plated three runs in the fourth and four more in the fifth to chase Fabian. Kuo entered the game with the Tourists trialing 8-6 in the fifth inning and two runners on base. Kuo, in his third relief appearance and first since last Sunday, stuck out Ozzie Martinez and picked off the runner on second to end the inning.

Asheville pulled to within 8-7 with an RBI single from Bo Bowman in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the offense for Greensboro was just too overwhelming. The Grasshoppers scored one more run in the sixth and two in the seventh on RBI hits from Brian Shultz, Hunter Mense and Ozzie Martinez. Joey Williamson relieved Kuo with one out in the seventh and bases loaded. Williamson pitched three innings and allowed three runs on three hits.

Six of the nine players in the Grasshoppers starting lineup had a multi-hit game on Sunday. The 19 hits allowed by Asheville is the most allowed in one game this season and the 14 runs ties the season high set by West Virginia on April 18th. Asheville managed to put up 16 hits of their own in the contest even with a lineup that was shifted at the last moment. Everth Cabrera was scratched just before the game began with a hand injury, forcing Kevin Clark to bat leadoff and Darin Holcomb to play third with Jeffrey Cunningham moving to first base for the first time in his career. Clark delivered from the leadoff spot with two doubles and two runs scored.

Asheville will try to salvage a series split with Shane Lindsay (0-1, 4.63) getting the ball at 7:05 pm. The Tourists are currently 2-5 against the Grasshoppers this season as Greensboro is one of only three teams Asheville does not have a winning record against. Monday's game will be the penultimate Capital Bank Mega Money Monday Night at McCormick Field.

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 17, 2008


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