SAL1 Asheville Tourists

Tourists Streak Over Riverdogs

Published on April 30, 2009 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Asheville Tourists News Release


(Asheville, NC) - The Asheville Tourists took the field Thursday night for the third of a four-game series with the Charleston Riverdogs with the Tourists looking for their first winning streak of the year. Asheville entered play having taken the first two games of the Charleston series, and a victory would give them their first three-game winning streak of the year and a shot at the sweep on Friday.

On paper, Thursday's matchup was a battle between two of the premier pitching prospects in all of Minor League baseball. First round draft picks Christian Friedrich and Andrew Brackman did not disappoint, dueling in a tight ballgame through five innings.

Charleston got on the board first in the top of the second inning. After retiring the side in order to begin the game, Friedrich allowed a leadoff double to Brian Baisley. Baisley then moved to third on a wild pitch and came in to score on a passed ball by catcher Jordan Pacheco. Friedrich then walked Dan Brewer, who moved to second on another wild pitch, and took third on yet another passed ball. Pacheco retrieved the ball and tried to throw Brewer out at third base, but he threw it into left field, allowing Brewer to score and give Charleston a 2-0 lead.

The Tourists would take advantage of another Charleston defensive mistake in the bottom of the inning. Jimmy Cesario led off with a double to right-center, extending his hitting streak to eight games. With one out, Erik Wetzel came up to sacrifice bunt and laid down a beauty down the third base line. Mike Lyon fielded it, but threw wide of first base, allowing Cesario to come around and make the score 2-1 Riverdogs.

It would remain that way until the bottom of the fifth inning as the starting pitchers each found their groove. Friedrich would work six full innings on the way to his second victory of the year, striking out ten Charleston hitters on the night - his high for the year. He allowed two runs on five hits and two walks, setting down nine straight Riverdogs in one stretch.

Asheville got to Brackman in the bottom of the fifth when Scott Robinson started things off with a single through the hole into left field. Delta Cleary came up to sacrifice bunt, and did a good job of laying one down on an inside fastball, leaping out of the way as he made contact. The bunt died in front of the pitcher's mound and Brackman bobbled the pickup, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Jordan Pacheco then sacrificed the runners to second and third, setting the table for first baseman Kiel Roling. Roling smashed a line drive off the wall in right field for a long two-run single, putting the Tourists ahead 3-2.

The Tourists kept things going in their next turn at bat, pushing across three more runs. Erik Wetzel led off with a walk, and Ryan Peisel grounded out, moving Wetzel to second. After a walk by Thomas Field, Scott Robinson drove Wetzel home with a base hit, and the runners moved up to second and third on a throwing error by left fielder Ray Kruml. After Delta Cleary struck out, Jordan Pacheco delivered the big blow with a double down the left field line, scoring both runners and giving Asheville a 6-3 lead.

Things would get interesting as Friedrich left the game in favor of Alan DeRatt. DeRatt struggled in the top of the seventh, giving up a leadoff single before getting a groundout. The runner advanced to second on the out, and Mike Lyon drove him in with a double to right field. Ray Kruml followed with a base hit to left, plating Lyon and cutting the Asheville lead to 6-4. A throwing error was charged to left fielder Scott Robinson on the base hit when his relay throw back to the infield went all the way to the right field fence, allowing Kruml to take third base. Carmen Angelini hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field, scoring Kruml and cutting the Tourists lead to 6-5 before DeRatt got out of the jam.

The Tourists went down quietly in the bottom of the eighth and turned to closer Kurt Yacko to seal the deal. Yacko had struggled in save situations, just one of four coming in, but he struck out the first two batters in the top of the ninth on just seven pitches. Mike Lyon drove one all the way to the wall in center field, just evading Delta Cleary, for a two-out double to give the Riverdogs life. But Yacko buckled down and struck out Kruml looking to end the game, the Tourists on top, 6-5.

Asheville recorded 16 total strikeouts in the contest, the most this season. The Tourists (10-11) will take on the Riverdogs (11-10) once more Friday night at McCormick Field, looking for the four-game sweep. The Tourists will have RHP Dan Houston (0-1, 4.09) on the mound Friday against Riverdogs RHP D.J. Mitchell (3-0, 2.25). Tickets for Friday'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.

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 30, 2009


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