Tourists Drop Opener as Baseball Returns to McCormick Field

ASHEVILLE- Opening Day in 2021 was anticipated by fans, players, and coaches for a long time. Tonight was the first game at McCormick Field in almost 20 months and the start of a brand new season. Asheville played host to the Brooklyn Cyclones in game one of a six game series. The visitors dealt the Tourists an 8-2 loss by taking control from the start.

The Cyclones strung together five consecutive singles in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 advantage. Hayden Senger’s leadoff Home Run in the second increased the advantage to 3-0. Brooklyn tacked on two more in the third and one more in the fourth.

Josh Walker kept the Tourists hitters tied up with five scoreless, hitless frames. Alex McKenna’s sixth inning single was the first hit of the year for Asheville and Scott Schreiber put the Tourists on the scoreboard with a leadoff Home Run in the seventh.

Brooklyn answered with two runs in the eighth before Colin Barber left the yard with an opposite field solo Home Run in the bottom of the inning. The Tourists did load the bases in the bottom of the ninth; however, Mitch Ragan struck out the next three hitters to end the game.

Asheville struck out 15 times on the night and the Tourists pitchers issued six walks in addition to surrendering 11 hits. Jose Bravo and Layne Henderson each threw well for Asheville as the duo combined to toss 4.1 innings out of the bullpen without allowing a hit and striking out six.

The Tourists and Cyclones will take the field on Wednesday for game two of the series. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:35pm.