LEXINGTON-- The Lexington Legends lead the South Atlantic League in Home Runs and it was the long ball that was the difference in Monday night's 3-2 Asheville Tourists loss. The Legends hit a pair of solo Home Runs, one in the fifth and one in the sixth, to build just
LEXINGTON-- The Lexington Legends lead the South Atlantic League in Home Runs and it was the long ball that was the difference in Monday night's 3-2 Asheville Tourists loss. The Legends hit a pair of solo Home Runs, one in the fifth and one in the sixth, to build just a big enough lead.
Asheville captured a 1-0 advantage with a run in the top of the second. Manny Melendez bounced into a fielder's choice that scored Bobby Wernes. The lead stayed intact until the Legends plated an unearned run to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth.
Joe Dudek provided the home team with their first lead when he hit a one-out Home Run over the centerfield wall in the fifth. The next inning, Khalil Lee blasted his 17th Home Run of the season to make it 3-1. Asheville did everything they could to try and overcome the two-run deficit.
In the top of the eighth, Taylor Snyder clubbed his third Home Run over the last three games to make it 3-2. Following Snyder's blast, Collin Snider retired the next six batters in order to end the game. Asheville finished with only three hits.
Travis Eckert worked seven innings for the Legends and surrendered one run on two hits. The Tourists hit several balls hard off Eckert and Snider but failed to find any daylight with a number of shots caught on the warning track or deep in the outfield gaps.
Rico Garcia suffered the loss despite pitching well. Garcia went 5.2 innings and allowed three runs, two earned. The Tourists finished their road trip 2-5 and will head home to open up a four-game series against the Augusta GreenJackets on Tuesday.
