Moclair Closes the Door in Tourists Comeback Win
May 21, 2021 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Asheville Tourists News Release
ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists recorded their biggest come-from-behind win of the season on Friday night when they overcame a five-run deficit to defeat the Greenville Drive 7-6. Mark Moclair, who was making his Tourists debut, pitched the final four innings and kept the one-run lead intact the entire time.
One day after losing by nine runs to the Drive, the Tourists fell behind big early on. Greenville plated three runs in the top of the first thanks to a bases-loaded double by Tyler Dearden. The visitors scored another three runs in the second inning and chased Asheville's starting pitcher, Juan Pablo Lopez, from the contest.
The Tourists did plate a key run in the bottom of the first inning when Colin Barber hit a two-run single into right field to score Korey Lee. Trailing 6-1, the Tourists went to reliever Felipe Tejada in the third. Tejada ended up in a bases-loaded, one out jam in the fourth. The Drive had an opportunity to break the game open but the Tourists right-handed reliever escaped the inning without surrendering any damage.
Asheville's offense responded in a big way. The Tourists sent 11 men to the plate and scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth. Alex McKenna and Enmanuel Valdez both hit two-run singles while Luis Santana added an RBI single of his own. The go-ahead run came in to score on a passed ball.
Neither team scored the rest of the way. Tejada worked another scoreless inning before turning things over to Moclair. The newest member of the Tourists electrified the crowd with seven strikeouts in four shutout innings. Moclair punctuated three of those four frames by striking out a Drive batter with the crowd erupting each time. Tejada and Moclair combined to toss seven shutout innings in the win.
The Tourists and the Drive will face off in game five of their six-game series on Saturday night with the first pitch slated for 6:05pm.
South Atlantic League Stories from May 21, 2021
- Martin Spins Perfect Five Innings, Leads Dash to 5-0 Victory - Winston-Salem Dash
- Moclair Closes the Door in Tourists Comeback Win - Asheville Tourists
- Hot Rods Lose Second Straight with 6-1 Setback on Friday - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Six-Run Fourth Propels Asheville to 7-6 Win Over Greenville - Greenville Drive
- 'Dads Blank Hoppers in 3-0 Victory - Hickory Crawdads
- Walker Is Wonderful in Cyclones 4-1 Win - Brooklyn Cyclones
- Rome Pitching Shuts Down Bowling Green in 6-1 Victory - Rome Emperors
- Renegades Fall to Cyclones in Brooklyn - Hudson Valley Renegades
- Hot Rods Game Notes - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes (May 21) - Winston-Salem Dash
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