Cholowsky Launches First Pro Homer in Dash Rout
Roch Cholowsky had already collected his first professional hit. On Thursday night, the first pick in the 2026 Draft added another milestone. Cholowsky launched the first home run of his professional career, a three-run blast to right field in the fifth inning, as the Winston-Salem Dash (59-47) powered past the
Roch Cholowsky had already collected his first professional hit. On Thursday night, the first pick in the 2026 Draft added another milestone.
Cholowsky launched the first home run of his professional career, a three-run blast to right field in the fifth inning, as the Winston-Salem Dash (59-47) powered past the Asheville Tourists (34-71), 14-7, at Truist Stadium.
The homer capped a huge night for the young shortstop and put an exclamation point on an offensive explosion from Winston-Salem. Cholowsky finished with a double, home run, and five RBIs as the Dash scored in six different innings.
Asheville grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first, capitalizing on a balk and a Winston-Salem error, but the Dash began chipping away immediately.
Nick McLain doubled home Javier Mogollon in the bottom of the first before Derek Cerda tied the game with an RBI double in the second.
Mogollon gave Winston-Salem its first lead in the third, launching a solo home run to left-center field to make it 3-2.
Then the Dash broke the game open.
Kyle Lodise led off the fourth with a solo home run before Winston-Salem continued to pressure Asheville pitching. A wild pitch brought home another run, and Cholowsky ripped a two-run double to left field to extend the advantage. McLain added an RBI groundout later in the frame as the Dash plated five runs and surged ahead 8-2.
The biggest moment came one inning later.
After Wes Kath opened the fifth with a solo home run, Ben Hartl was hit by a pitch and Cerda singled to put two runners aboard. Cholowsky stepped in and turned on a 1-2 pitch, sending it over the right-field wall for his first professional home run and stretching the Winston-Salem lead to 12-2.
Asheville made a push with four runs in the seventh, but Winston-Salem added two more insurance runs in the eighth behind an RBI single from Kath and a bases-loaded walk from Ely Brown.
The Dash finished with 11 hits and four home runs in the victory. Cholowsky drove in five, while Lodise, Mogollon, and Kath also went deep as Winston-Salem’s offense controlled the night.
For Cholowsky, though, one swing stood above the rest — his first trip around the bases as a professional.