Tourists Fall on Opening Day
April 4, 2025 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Asheville Tourists News Release
GREENSBORO, NC - Opening Day for the 2025 High-A circuit sprung into action on Friday night. Among the 28 teams competing across the country, the Asheville Tourists battled with the Greensboro Grasshoppers at First National Bank Field, resulting in a 12-3 Tourists defeat.
Juan Bello was called upon to start Game 1 of the season. The Astros' No. 25 prospect surrendered a pair of runs off three walks and a hit in the first frame.
In the away second, Houston's 2024 first-round draft pick, Walker Janek, registered the Tourists' first hit of the season after smoking a double off the right-field wall. He was moved to third on a past ball and scored on Chase Jaworsky's fielder's choice to slice the deficit in half.
Greensboro answered with a run in the home half of the inning, before blowing the game open in the third. They began the frame by loading the bases with nobody out, ending Bello's day after two innings of work.
Julio Rodriguez came out of the bullpen. All three inherited base runners scored to make it a 6-1 game, charged to Bello's card. Rodriguez gave up a run of his own in the fourth before his night came to a close.
Asheville's final runs were scored in the fifth inning. They loaded the bases with nobody out. Three batters later with two away, Janek lined a ball off the shortstop into left field to plate two and make it 7-3.
Greensboro shot right back by knocking Jose Guedez for two runs each in the fifth and seventh innings. Ahead 11-3, they scored the final run of the game off the righty in the eighth.
The last arm in relief, Colby Langford finished the night recording two outs and allowing an inherited runner to score.
Asheville totaled its trio of runs on as many hits with no errors. Janek strung together a two-for-four effort to lead the bats. Despite Greensboro committing two defensive mistakes, scoring a dozen runs on 11 hits lifted them to victory.
J.P. Massey (1-0) earned the win after pitching two innings of relief in the fourth and fifth. Bello (0-1) was dealt the loss.
Looking to shake off the rust, Asheville will be back on the diamond tomorrow in an attempt to even the three-game series against Greensboro. The first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. ET.
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