Tourists batter RiverDogs, 9-3

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The Asheville Tourists battered Charleston starter Zach McAllister for nine runs and 11 hits in three innings and cruised to a 9-3 win over the RiverDogs in South Atlantic League play at McCormick Field on Friday.

In taking two of the first three games of the series, Asheville (25-11) pulled within a half-game of Charleston (25-10) for first place in the Southern Division at the midpoint of the season's first half.

McAllister (4-2), who saw his ERA balloon from a league-best 0.92 to 2.57, surrendered four runs on five hits in each of the first two innings and an unearned run in the third.

Brian Rike led the barrage with an RBI single and his league-leading ninth homer, a three-run blast to center. Warren Schaeffer collected three of Asheville's 15 hits, and five other Tourists recorded two hits apiece.

Sheng-An Kuo (3-2) had his third consecutive solid outing for Asheville, holding the RiverDogs to one run on five hits in seven innings. The Taiwan native was touched for a solo homer by Taylor Holiday in the second inning.

Carmen Angelini's sacrifice fly and an RBI double by Justin Snyder gave the RiverDogs a pair of runs in the ninth. Snyder and Holiday each finished with two hits and one RBI.

Charleston stranded 10 runners in the game, including eight in scoring position.

With first place again at stake, the fourth and final game of the series is today at 7:05 p.m, with Dellin Betances (4-1, 2.92 ERA) scheduled to pitch for Charleston against Tourists ace Jhoulys Chacin (4-1, 2.15) .