Asheville’s Flurry in the Ninth Spoils Rome’s Opening Night Extravaganza

ROME, Ga - John Gil’s go-ahead three-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning brought AdventHealth Stadium to its feet Thursday night before the Tourists struck for three runs on four hits in the ninth to reclaim the lead and discontinue the franchise’s nine-year run of Opening Day wins.

An 18-year-old Curaçaoan by the name of Ozzie Albies went 0-for-4 out of the leadoff spot the last time the then-Rome Baves lost their season opener in 2015… also to the Asheville Tourists. Since then, six different managers have guided the team to a flawless 9-0 record in Opening Day games, starting with Randy Ingle in ’17 and finishing with Angel Flores last season in his second stint with the club. Names like Rocket Wheeler, Matt Tuiasosopo, Kanekoa Texeira, and Cody Gabella fill the space between.

Cedric de Grandpre, whose first start of the 2025 season didn’t come until the first of June, took to the mound to open the 2026 campaign for the Rome Emperors. De Grandpre and Asheville starter Cole Hertzler traded zeros for four innings which saw just a handful of baserunners from both sides. Rome’s starter finished the fourth and did not return, posting a final line that included three hits, three walks, and four strikeouts.

High Point, NC native Jacob Shafer handled the middle innings for the Emperors and saw the first run of the season cross the plate in the fifth after a pair of singles to open the frame and Alejandro Nunez’s sacrifice fly.

The Emperors organized just two hits across the first seven innings of play on Thursday. But, in the eighth, after a leadoff single from Will Verdung and a walk worked by nine-hole Colin Burgess, John Gil clobbered a three-run home run over the left field wall for his first at this level.

Right hander Logan Samuels, who had entered the inning prior, was charged with all three earned runs given up in the top of the ninth and took the loss. Asheville’s Nunez doubled to bring home the tying run against Samuels and was one of four batters to register a hit in the inning.

The Emperors (0-1) and Tourists (1-0) play the middle game of the weekend set on Friday at 6:45PM ET. Parker Smith is set to make his High-A debut for the Tourists while the Emperors have yet to announce a starter.