Asheville Tourists Roll Past Charleston RiverDogs 9-3 - Advanced A, South Atlantic League

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Asheville scored nine times over the final three innings to erase a 2-0 deficit and defeat the Charleston RiverDogs, 9-3, Monday night in the finale of a crucial series between the top two teams in the South Atlantic League’s Southern Division in front of 2,486 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
With the victory, Asheville wins three of four in the series and increases its lead to 1.5 games over second-place Charleston.  The teams will not meet again in the first half of the season.  The Tourists are now 30-15 while the RiverDogs fall to 28-16.  Charleston completes its second consecutive losing homestand at 3-5.
Jason Stephens (1-1) continued the streak of outstanding starting pitching for the RiverDogs, shutting out the Tourists through six innings.  However, the Tallmadge, Ohio native ran into trouble in the seventh allowing three runs on three hits to give Asheville its first lead of the game at 3-2.
The 6'5” right-hander went 6.1 innings, allowing the three runs on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts, and saw his consecutive scoreless innings streak
ADVERTISEMENT end at 27.1 innings.  It also marked the first time in six games that a RiverDogs starting pitcher had allowed an earned run, ending that skein at 36.1 consecutive scoreless frames.
Charleston staked Stephens to a 2-0 lead with a run each in the second and third innings.  In the second, Brian Baisley's sacrifice fly scored Jesus Montero against Asheville starter Bruce Billings (3-3).
In the third, Austin Krum led off with a double and scored on the next batter Justin Snyder's RBI single.  Billings then settled down and did not allow a hit after that inning.  The right-hander lasted seven full innings and gave up only the two runs on five hits.
Asheville did not break through until one out in the seventh, as Helder Velazquez roped an RBI triple to score David Christensen and cut the deficit to 2-1.  Beau Seabury, who had only nine hits on the season at the time, followed with an RBI double over the head of left fielder Chase Odenreider to knot the score at 2-2.
Wilkins de la Rosa then replaced Stephens, and after an Everth Cabrera walk, Michael Mitchell gave Asheville the lead with an RBI single to right field scoring Seabury, who made a great slide at home plate to avoid catcher Montero's tag and give the Tourists a 3-2 lead.
The Tourists would increase their lead to 9-2 by scoring six runs in a bizarre ninth inning, which resulted in the ejection of RiverDogs' manager Torre Tyson.  David Christensen crushed a three-run home run on the first pitch he saw from reliever Casey Erickson to highlight the frame, which saw Asheville send 10 batters to the plate.
Lack of scoring was the RiverDogs’ main downfall in the homestand, as the offense was able to muster only eleven runs over the final 62 innings the team came to bat.
Charleston will head on the road for the next eight games, beginning with four in Greenville and concluding with four in Augusta.
Game one of the series against the Red Sox affiliate Drive is slated for 7 p.m. Tuesday night, with the RiverDogs sending ace right-hander Zach McAllister (5-2, 2.20) to the hill against Greenville righty Chris Province (3-1, 2.27).  McAllister defeated Province and the Drive last Thursday night, 2-1, by tossing seven shutout innings.

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