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ASHEVILLE, N.C. — For the second straight night, HomeTrust Park needed a miracle finish. This time it came from right field.
— Asheville Tourists (@GoTourists) June 5, 2026
With two outs in the top of the ninth, a throwing error from catcher John Garcia that sailed into right field with the bases loaded allowed Brian Sanchez to score from third and made it 10-9. On that same play Shalin Polanco was rounding third with a full head of steam, ready to tie the game. Nehomar Ochoa Jr. fielded the ball in right field, reared back, and fired a strike to catcher John Garcia. Garcia met Polanco at the plate. Home plate umpire Reginald Webb wound up and punched him out. HomeTrust Park exploded for the second straight night.
HE DOES IT AGAIN! Nunez doubles and scores Nehomar Ochoa! pic.twitter.com/RKpaQ4ci59
— Asheville Tourists (@GoTourists) June 5, 2026
Asheville held on to win 10-9, its third straight victory and fifth in its last six games.
The Tourists wasted no time setting the tone. The bottom of the first was an avalanche. Chase Call doubled to center to score Kyle Walker. Ochoa followed immediately with another double to score Call. Then Alejandro Nunez singled to bring home Ochoa. Three batters, three hits, three runs, and the rout appeared to be on. It was part of a stretch of six straight hits for Nunez dating back to Tuesday night.
Cole Hertzler was electric on the mound to back up the offense. The right-hander struck out seven over four innings, allowing just two runs on a Jhonny Severino two-run home run in the second. Hertzler now leads the Tourists with 64 strikeouts on the season.
— Asheville Tourists (@GoTourists) June 5, 2026
The middle of the Asheville order took over from there. Call, Ochoa, and Nunez combined to go 7-for-10 with five RBIs and two walks on the night. In the third, Call singled and Ochoa moved him to third. Nunez cleaned them both up with a double, then scored himself on a John Garcia fielder’s choice to push the lead to 6-2.
Caden Powell went opposite field in the fourth, clearing the 36-foot right field wall for a two-run home run that made it 8-2. Nunez added another RBI single in the seventh, and a Jack Moss double, his first hit at HomeTrust Park, set up a Kyle Walker RBI single in the eighth to push the cushion to 10-3.
Connor Steinbaugh was outstanding in relief of Hertzler, tossing three scoreless innings with two strikeouts to earn the win. The Tourists pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts on the night.
Caden POWell with a 2 run blast!
That home run just helped keep our community safer thanks to Enbridge Gas! pic.twitter.com/QRJnpQk4PJ
— Asheville Tourists (@GoTourists) June 5, 2026
Then came the ninth.
For the second consecutive game, Asheville nearly gave it all back. Nate Wohlgemuth entered having struck out three in a solid eighth but couldn’t escape the ninth. A walk, a double, and another walk loaded the bases with nobody out. A Tony Blanco single scored two. Still, nobody out. Wohlgemuth was done.
Francisco Frias came on and immediately walked Severino to reload the bases. Then walked Camden Janik to force in a run. Then walked Polanco to force in another. 10-7 Asheville, bases still loaded. Frias dug deep and struck out Sanford swinging, then struck out Yordany De Los Santos swinging. Two outs, 10-7, one away from ending it.
Then another walk scored a run. 10-8.
— Asheville Tourists (@GoTourists) June 5, 2026
Needing to do something to stop the avalanche, Garcia tried to pick off Jared Jones at first and the throw sailed wide into right field. Sanchez scored. Polanco turned third and never slowed down. That’s when Ochoa stepped up and delivered the throw of his life. Wohlgemuth and Frias combined to allow six runs on five hits while walking six in two innings of work, but it didn’t matter.
Nunez drives in 2! The Tourists extend their lead 6 -2 pic.twitter.com/HFlp0g7Ggi
— Asheville Tourists (@GoTourists) June 5, 2026
Ochoa’s throw, Garcia’s tag, and Webb’s emphatic punch out did.
Bats are hot tonight! Ochoa doubles to right field. Tourists get ahead early with a 2 – 0 lead in the bottom of the first! pic.twitter.com/eLD7JZInZj
— Asheville Tourists (@GoTourists) June 4, 2026
Nunez finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk. Ochoa went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk in addition to the throw that saved the game. Call, Ochoa, and Nunez were simply too much for Greensboro to handle all night long.
The Tourists improve to 14-39. Greensboro falls to 33-21. Asheville hosts the Grasshoppers again Friday night at HomeTrust Park, and the Tourists will take the field as the Asheville Snot Otters, donning their alternate jerseys inspired by the Hellbender of the Smoky Mountains. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.
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