Eighth Inning Rally Propels Asheville on Saturday 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Hub City took the lead Saturday night at Asheville on the second pitch of the ballgame when Dylan Dreiling led off with a home run. The Spartanburgers (31-28, 62-62) kept the lead into the eighth inning until the Tourists (22-34, 51-70) put up seven runs to win 9-4.

Dreiling took the second pitch from the hand of starter Yeriel Santos 400 feet to right and over the monster for his 11th home run of the season. With two outs in the second, Maxton Martin repeated the feat to double Hub City’s lead.

Hub City starter D.J. McCarty surrendered a pair of walks but faced just two over the minimum through the first three innings. After a one-out double from John Taylor in the fourth, Gleider Figuereo doubled Taylor in to open up a 3-0 lead. Tyler Whitaker responded in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run home run off McCarty to cut into the lead.

The Spartanburgers scratched across one more run off Santos in the top of the fifth on a Malcolm Moore RBI single. The bullpens took over from there. Adrian Rodriguez shut down the Tourists for three innings. After two perfect frames, Rodriguez allowed two runners into scoring position with one out in the seventh. A strikeout and a groundout helped preserve Hub City’s two-run lead.

Alejandro Torres allowed just one baserunner in the sixth and the seventh for Asheville. After Nate Wohlgemuth (W, 1-0) escaped the top of the eighth unscathed thanks to an outfield assist, Asheville attacked Case Matter (L, 0-1) in the bottom of the eighth. A leadoff walk and three straight singles brought in a run and loaded the bases. Trailing by one with no outs, Drew Vogel cranked a grand slam to give Asheville its first lead of the night.

Matter got one out before Adonis Villavicencio took over. The Tourists turned two more free passes and a double into two more runs. The Spartanburgers only mustered a two-out baserunner in the ninth against Wohlgemuth.

Thanks to a Bowling Green win over Greenville, the Spartanburgers keep a two-game lead in the division with seven games remaining. Hub City tries for a series win in the final regular season road game on Sunday at 6:05 p.m. ET. Spartanburgers righty Kolton Curtis (2-3, 5.74 ERA) takes on Asheville righty Jean Pinto (2-2, 5.11 ERA).

About the Hub City Spartanburgers

The Hub City Spartanburgers are in their inaugural season as the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. For more information on the Spartanburgers, visit milb.com/hub-city. For information about tickets to any of Hub City’s 66 home games, call 864-658-4206 or email: [email protected] For media inquiries, email: [email protected]. Follow along with the Spartanburgers on social media.