Moore Dazzles, Velasquez Delivers For Hot Rods
Published on June 6, 2009 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Asheville Tourists News Release
(Asheville, NC) - Bowling Green starting pitcher Matt Moore was spectacular at McCormick Field Saturday night, allowing no hits his longest outing of the season and setting a career high with 12 strikeouts, leading the Hot Rods to a 10-2 victory. Ethan Hollingsworth did not have his best stuff for the Tourists, allowing 10 runs on 10 hits over 5.0 innings of work. Moore did not allow a single hit in his 7.0 innings, with two walks the only marks on his otherwise perfect record. Carlos Martinez singled off of reliever Neil Schenk with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to register the first Tourists hit.
Bowling Green jumped on Hollingsworth right away, as Anthony Scelfo led off the top of the first with a bunt single. Tim Beckham drew a walk and Jake Jefferies smacked a double into right field, scoring both runners to give the Hot Rods a 2-0 lead. Kyeong Kang followed with a double of his own to plate Jefferies and make it 3-0. Henry Wrigley came up with a double of his own, the third of the inning, to bring Kang around to score and make it 4-0 Bowling Green.
The Hot Rods poured it on in the top of the third with four more big runs. Henry Wrigley hit a one-out double, his second of the game, and Jason Tweedy followed with a walk. Mike McCormick singled into left field to load the bases for Isaias Velasquez, who crushed the first pitch he saw over the wall in left field for a grand slam homerun. It was the first long ball of the year for Velasquez, and it gave his team an imposing 8-0 lead.
Bowling Green added runs in the fourth and fifth innings on a sacrifice fly by Mike Sheridan and a solo homerun by McCormick. Moore would carry the 10-0 advantage through the bottom of the seventh inning, allowing just a walk to Patrick Rose in the third and another to Ryan Peisel in the fifth. It was the first time all year Moore has worked more than 5.0 innings, going 7.0 no-hit shutout frames while striking out a career-high 12.
Alan DeRatt and Isaiah Froneberger came on to take over for Hollingsworth and were perfect in their two frames each. DeRatt struck out two and faced just six batters in his two innings, and Froneberger struck out five of the six he faced.
The Tourists avoided the no-hitter and the shutout with a small rally in the bottom of the eighth. Peisel led off and reached on an error, and with two away, Carlos Martinez drove a single into center field to break up the no-hitter. Delta Cleary then lined a double into the gap in right-center field, bringing Peisel and Martinez around to score and put the Tourists on the board, 10-2. With Cleary on third, Scott Robinson struck out to end the threat. Asheville went down in order in the bottom of the ninth to close things out for Bowling Green.
The Tourists (20-35) and Hot Rods (27-28) will meet for the finale of this three-game series Sunday afternoon, with Asheville looking to avoid their second straight three-game sweep. Asheville will have RHP Jonnathan Aristil (0-1, 3.82) on the mound to make his first start as a member of the regular rotation, and he will go up against Bowling Green RHP Shane Dyer (1-3, 3.74). Tickets for Sunday's game and all Tourists home games are available by contacting the Tourists box office at (828) 258-0428. You can also listen to all 140 Asheville Tourists games live on 100.7 WRES FM or streaming online at www.theashevilletourists.com.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 6, 2009
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- Hits Come in Bunches in Drive's 9-1 Win Over Legends - Greenville Drive
- BlueClaws Battle; Beat Shorebirds - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Drive opens early lead, defeats Legends 9-1 - Lexington Legends
- Suns grab long-awaited 3-1 win after falling, 5-1 in suspended game - Hagerstown Suns
- RiverDogs Tomahawk Braves, 7-6, in Battle for First - Charleston RiverDogs
- Moore Dazzles, Velasquez Delivers For Hot Rods - Asheville Tourists
- Lefty's best start aided by Hot Rods first grand slam in 2009 - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Shorebirds Hold on for Victory - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
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