Diaz, Abreu Squeeze the Tourists a Win
CHARLESTON-- For the second consecutive night, the Asheville Tourists and the West Virginia Power found themselves in an extra-inning affair. Tuesday night came down to the tenth inning, tied 3-3. Joel Diaz and Willie Abreu combined to execute a safety squeeze that plated the game-winning run.
Abreu reach on a throwing error to begin the tenth. Jacob Bosiokovic knocked him over to third with a single which set the stage for the squeeze. Diaz laid down the bunt but it traveled back to the Power pitcher Mike Wallace. Abreu froze at third as Wallace stared him back to the bag. As soon as Wallace threw the ball towards first base, Abreu broke for home plate. A head first slide beat the return throw from first baseman Carlos Munoz.
J.D. Hammer, who worked a scoreless ninth inning, came back out to pitch the tenth. Hammer induced a game ending double-play off the bat of Trae Arbet to seal the win. Julian Fernandez and Matt Dennis combined to pitch three scoreless innings of relief prior to Hammer's appearance.
Brandon Gold started for the Tourists and pitched well. The right-hander struck out five through five innings but in his last inning of work surrendered a game-tying, two run Home Run to Arden Pabst.
Asheville took a 3-0 lead with a two out rally in the third. Cole Anderson scored on a wild pitch while Abreu and Taylor Snyder chipped in RBI singles. The Tourists had a chance to recapture the lead in the sixth when they put runners at second and third with no outs; however, they were unable to cash in.
West Virginia loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Dennis shut the door with a strikeout followed by an inning-ending groundout.
The Tourists will attempt to sweep the Power with Wednesday night's series finale scheduled for 7:05pm.