Five-Run Third Lifts Dash Past Asheville

Winston-Salem takes advantage of free passes and defensive miscues in a 7-4 victory.

By Winston-Salem Dash

August 5, 2026

The Winston-Salem Dash (57-47) broke open a tied game with five runs in the third inning and held off the Asheville Tourists (34-69) for a 7-4 victory on Wednesday night at Truist Stadium. Winston-Salem managed just five hits but consistently pressured Asheville pitching, drawing 15 walks and capitalizing on three

The Winston-Salem Dash (57-47) broke open a tied game with five runs in the third inning and held off the Asheville Tourists (34-69) for a 7-4 victory on Wednesday night at Truist Stadium.

Winston-Salem managed just five hits but consistently pressured Asheville pitching, drawing 15 walks and capitalizing on three Tourists errors to even the series.

Asheville struck first in the second inning. Nick Monistere singled and advanced to third before John Garcia lined an RBI single to center field, giving the Tourists a 1-0 lead.

The Dash answered in the bottom half.

After Jackson Appel and Nick McLain worked walks, Roch Cholowsky doubled up the middle to score Appel and tie the game at 1-1.

Winston-Salem took control in the third.

George Wolkow opened the inning with a single before Jeral Perez and Kyle Lodise drew walks to load the bases. Derek Cerda followed with an RBI single to right-center field, putting the Dash in front.

Kaleb Freeman brought home another run on a fielder’s choice before Appel walked to reload the bases. McLain then drew a bases-loaded walk, and consecutive Asheville errors allowed Freeman and Appel to score, completing the five-run inning and extending the advantage to 6-1.

The Dash added another run in the fourth. Lodise was hit by a pitch and advanced on a wild pitch before Freeman singled him home to make it 7-1.

Asheville attempted to chip away over the middle innings.

DJ Newman doubled home Garcia in the fifth, Jack Moss added an RBI single in the sixth, and another run-scoring single from Moss in the eighth trimmed the deficit to 7-4.

The Winston-Salem bullpen prevented the Tourists from getting any closer. Trey Cooper, Max Banks, Frankeli Arias, and Jack Young combined to allow two runs over the final four innings.

Jake Curtis earned the victory after allowing two runs, one earned, across five innings. Young struck out two in the ninth to secure his second save of the season.

Freeman drove in two runs, while Cholowsky doubled and reached base three times. Cerda collected an RBI single and drew three walks as Winston-Salem used its five-run third inning to secure the victory. BOX SCORE