FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, August 15, 2019
HOME FIELD EDGE CONTINUES WITH TOURISTS WIN
ASHEVILLE RUNS SECOND HALF HOME RECORD TO 19-9
ASHEVILLE- The Asheville Tourists entered Thursday night with the best home record in the South Atlantic League since the All-Star Break. Asheville improved that record with a 6-3 series opening win over the Charleston RiverDogs; their third win in four games this homestand.
The Tourists jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Coco Montes laced a two-run double off the wall in centerfield for his 76th and 77th RBIs of the season. Will Golsan made it 3-0 in the next inning with a two-out RBI single that scored Cristopher Navarro.
After Charleston plated one in the top of the third, Willie MacIver pushed the lead back out to three runs with an RBI single into left. The score remained 4-1 until the RiverDogs scored a run in the sixth inning. Asheville’s starting pitcher, Frederis Parra, departed following the sixth with a quality start in his pocket. Parra matched a season-high with six strikeouts.
Charleston inched a little closer in the top of the eighth with another run but Asheville once again had an answer. Grant Lavigne worked a lead-off walk in the bottom half of the eighth and scored all the way from first base on Daniel Montano’s RBI double to left. Two batters later, Cade Harris ripped an RBI single into right to give the Tourists a three-run lead heading into the ninth.
PJ Poulin was called upon to finish off the RiverDogs and Poulin did just that. He allowed a few base-runners but struck out three Charleston hitters to close out the game. The final strikeout took only three pitches.
The win keeps the Tourists tied for first place and pushes the RiverDogs to three games back. These two teams will face off three more times in the series with Friday’s contest scheduled for 7:05pm.
