Free Passes Doom ‘Burgers in 7-1 Defeat 

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — After only managing one run through the first two games this week, the Asheville Tourists (13-19, 42-55) bounced back against the Spartanburgers (19-14, 49-47) in a 7-1 win. Despite just four combined hits, the Tourists capitalized on several free passes to break out of the offensive struggle.

Dalton Pence dominated through his first three innings. Hub City’s lefty starter set down each of the first nine batters he faced, racking up five strikeouts. Asheville starter Jean Pinto (W, 2-2) worked around a leadoff walk in the first, but he could not do the same in the second. Casey Cook walked to begin the second and moved over to third with two outs. After Quincy Scott walked, he took off for second and stopped short to start a pickle. Cook danced home to score the game’s first run before Scott was tagged out.

Pence (L, 1-2) trotted back to start the fourth, pitching over three innings for the first time in his minor league career. Pence allowed three of the first four to reach on a single, an error and a walk. A fielder’s choice and a walk brought in the first two Asheville runs. With two outs, Jesus Gamez took over on the mound in his Hub City debut. Gamez walked the first batter he faced, bringing in a third Asheville run before a strikeout ended the frame.

Gamez struck out the side in the fifth and handed things over to Victor Simeon for a scoreless sixth. Pinto managed to finish five innings of one-run baseball for Asheville. He passed the baton to Railin Perez to take over in the sixth inning of a no-hitter.

Malcolm Moore, celebrating his 22nd birthday, tagged the Spartanburgers’ first hit in the bottom of the sixth, a squibber down the third base line which he legged out for a double. Meanwhile, Asheville continued to capitalize on free bases from the Hub City bullpen. Simeon hit a batter and walked another in the seventh, then Josh Sanders entered and hit another before giving up a 2-RBI single to Will Bush. A groundout scored one more to make it 6-1 in favor of Asheville.

In the ninth, Tourists catcher Walker Janek smacked a first-pitch homer off of Mailon Felix. Felix rebounded to strike out the side. In total, the Spartanburgers struck out 16 batters in the 7-1 defeat.

The Tourists and Spartanburgers match up at 7:05 p.m. ET Friday. Right-handers D.J. McCarty (1-4, 5.40 ERA) and Alonzo Tredwell (1-1, 3.55 ERA) are the scheduled starters prior to Fifth Third Fireworks postgame.

About the Hub City Spartanburgers

The Hub City Spartanburgers are in their inaugural season as the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. For more information on the Spartanburgers, visit milb.com/hub-city. For information about tickets to any of Hub City’s 66 home games, call 864-658-4206 or email: [email protected] For media inquiries, email: [email protected]. Follow along with the Spartanburgers on social media.