Five-Run First Inning Sinks Tourists

ROME- The Asheville Tourists outplayed the Rome Braves for eight innings on Friday night, but a five-run first inning by the home team was enough to hand the Tourists a 6-5 defeat; their fifth loss in the last six games.
Rome sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning and scored five runs on six hits and a walk. The Braves only managed three hits the rest of the game, all singles.

Asheville scored their first run on a Chad Spanberger Home Run in the second. The Braves contested it was a foul ball but Spanberger was credited with his ninth Home Run of the season. Rome received an infield single in the fourth inning to build their lead back up to 6-1.
The Tourists offense created opportunities throughout the game. Asheville loaded the bases in both the third and fourth innings but both times came away without runs. The Tourists did plate two in the fifth on an RBI groundout by Ramon Marcelino and a Braves error.
The score remained 6-3 until the top of the ninth. Bret Boswell singled and scored on Casey Golden 's triple to deep right. Golden then scored on a Spanberger single into left. With Chad at first base representing the tying run, Hayden Deal recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the game.
Erick Julio and Robert Tyler combined for three shutout innings out of Asheville's bullpen, but ultimately the five-run first inning proved to be too much to overcome.
The Tourists and Braves are back in action on Saturday night with the first pitch scheduled for 6:00pm.