Tourists Split Doubleheader vs. Braves

Asheville, NC--On Tuesday night the Asheville Tourists made up an early season rain out against the Rome Braves by playing a twill bill at McCormick Field. Asheville dropped Game One 5-3 but responded with a 3-0 shutout victory in Game Two.

In the early contest, the Braves scored two runs in the top of the first inning and forced the Tourists to play catch up the rest of the way. Francisco Sosa hit a solo Home Run in the bottom of the second to draw Asheville within one, but Trenton Moses hooked a two-run Homer over the wall in left in the top of the third to put the visitors in front 4-1.

Juan Ciriaco drove in Jason Stolz in the fourth with an RBI double and Tom Murphy's solo round-tripper in the fifth again cut the deficit to just one at 4-3. Joey Meneses provided a key insurance run in the sixth inning for the Braves with an RBI single because the Tourists mounted a fierce rally in the bottom of the seventh.

Asheville loaded the bases with no outs against reliever Carlos Perez, but the lefty struck out the next two batters he faced. Shae Simmons was called upon with two outs and he struck out Stolz to end the game. Patrick Scoggin earned the win for Rome and is now 3-0 in four starts verses the Tourists this season.

The home team bounced back in Game Two. Ryan Arrowood started and tossed four innings of no-hit baseball. In the bottom of the third, Ciriaco and Julian Yan executed a double steal that resulted in Asheville's first run. Dillon Thomas then singled home Sosa in the fourth to give the Tourists a 2-0 lead. Matt Argyropoulos capped the scoring with an RBI double to right in the bottom of the sixth. 

Alving Mejias worked a hitless fifth but with one out in the sixth, Blake Brown broke up the no-hit bid on a grounder through the right side of the infield. It was the second time this season the T's have come up five outs short of a no-hitter.

The same two teams are back in action on Wednesday night with the first pitch slated for 7:05pm.