ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Down to their final strike, the Greensboro Grasshoppers extended the game and eventually beat the Asheville Tourists at McCormick Field on Wednesday night, 3-2.
Offense was quiet for both sides until the sixth inning. The Tourists (43-59) broke the ice with an RBI hit from Walker Janek. Then, Alejandro Nunez brought home another to make it 2-0.
The Grasshoppers (73-30) scored one in the seventh to cut the deficit in half. In the ninth inning, a one-out double put a man in scoring position.
After a strikeout, the No. 1 prospect in baseball, Konnor Griffin, doubled down the left field line to tie the game after falling behind in the count 0-2. The next batter brought him in on an RBI single, and just like that, the Grasshoppers took the lead.
Asheville went one-two-three in the ninth.
Starter Jean Pinto tossed five and one-third scoreless innings for Asheville, racking up seven strikeouts. In his Tourists debut, Brandon McPherson (L, 0-1) finished the game. He was great until on the hill until the ninth.
Game 3 of the series between these two clubs is Thursday. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.