Consistent bats enough to squeeze out win in extras

GREENVILLE, SC - Bringing hot bats to Fluor Field on Friday night, the Asheville Tourists overpowered the Greenville Drive in a 15-13 shootout.

The Tourists (11-14) scored in seven of the 10 innings played and tallied four multi-run frames. While the Drive (11-14) made two separate comebacks throughout the night, Asheville kept its foot on the gas to overcome the adversity.

Cristian Gonzalez and Alejandro Nunez each brought runs home in the first and third innings. Up 2-1 in the fourth, Will Bush deposited a ball well past the right field wall to extend the lead.

Righty Dawil Almonte made his High-A debut, filling in for starter Nick Swiney. Entering in the third frame, Almonte surrendered an inherited runner, before allowing five to score (four earned) in the fourth as the Drive jumped ahead 6-5.

Firing back in the fifth and sixth innings, the Tourists found two more pairs to add to the scoreboard, while getting a solid performance from Matthew Linskey on the bump. The 6-foot 7-inch righty threw in three scoreless innings while racking up four strikeouts.

Tying the game at six, Drew Vogel hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Then, Trevor Austin singled up the gut to regain the edge.

Chase Jaworsky made it a 9-6 game with a two-RBI base knock to right. In the eighth inning, Nunez homered for the fourth time this year with a blast to right center field.

With the game seemingly out of reach, Greenville struck gold and scored four more off a trio of hits and two walks in the eighth inning to tie the game late. No one scored in the ninth inning, and the game continued on into the 10th frame.

Dishing out one final heap of runs, Asheville registered five more to jump ahead and seal the deal. Nunez cut the knot with a sacrifice fly to left field, making it 11-10. Two batters later, Gonzalez also scored another on a fly out. The dagger came from Kenni Gomez who, as the third Tourist of the game, hit a mammoth shot over the right field wall to plate three.

Not going down easy, Greenville found the board for three in the home 10th, but they didn’t have enough juice left. Closing the game with the tying run at the plate, Julio Rodriguez (W, 1-0) slammed the door four hours and two minutes after the first pitch for the win.

Asheville scored its most runs in a game this season with 13 hits. Nunez led the team with three knocks, while he and Gomez each nabbed a trio of RBIs. Bush, Jaworsky and Guillemette also had multi-hit affairs.

Both teams will battle once again tomorrow at 6:45 p.m. ET. Asheville has taken a three-games-to-two lead in the series and looks to win it with more good offense Saturday night.