Long Balls, Ejections, and Drama Comprise 10-8 Win
April 28, 2018 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Asheville Tourists News Release
ASHEVILLE - The Asheville Tourists added to their league-leading Home Run total with four more blasts on Saturday night against the Greensboro Grasshoppers. Asheville hit three over the first two innings, then overcame a late three-run deficit to win 10-8.
Shael Mendoza led off the bottom of the first inning with a Home Run off Edward Cabrera. Three batters later, Sean Bouchard left the yard with a two-run blast. In the second inning, Taylor Snyder hit a solo Home Run and Cabrera had seen enough.
The Grasshoppers starting pitcher threw a 100-mph fastball at the head of Hidekel Gonzalez. When Gonzalez ducked out of the way of the intended beanball, Cabrera threw another. The hit-by-pitch sparked a benches-clearing argument and both Cabrera and Gonzalez were ejected.
Greensboro escaped further damage in the second inning on a controversial runner's interference call that took a run off the scoreboard for Asheville. Then the Grasshoppers mounted a comeback. The visitors scored the game's next five runs and after the Tourists tied the game 5-5 on a Robbie Perkins RBI single, Greensboro answered with a three-run Home Run of their own.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bouchard made it 8-6 with an RBI double and Chad Spanberger put the Tourists back in front 9-8 with a three-run bomb over the right field wall. Asheville tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on Bret Boswell's sacrifice fly.
The Tourists have now won three straight and four of their last five. Asheville will attempt to sweep Greensboro with the series finale scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The first pitch is set for 2:05pm.
South Atlantic League Stories from April 28, 2018
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- Garcia Homers Twice to Lead RiverDogs Past Drive - Charleston RiverDogs
- Lexington Legends Fall in Game Two to West Virginia Power - Lexington Legends
- Long Balls, Ejections, and Drama Comprise 10-8 Win - Asheville Tourists
- Bengtson's Blast Lifts Power over Legends on Saturday - Charleston Dirty Birds
- No Luck Needed to Win Number Seven - Augusta GreenJackets
- Fermin Homers in Competitive Saturday Night Tilt vs. Augusta - Columbia Fireflies
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- Fireflies Game Notes: April 28 at Augusta (Game 23) - Columbia Fireflies
- West Virginia Power: Game Notes (April 28) - Charleston Dirty Birds
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