Media release from the Rome Emperors:
Asheville’s four run forth puts Emperors in insurmountable hole and a damper on Sinnard’s High-A debut.
Rome continues to showcase fresh faces this season, and today was no exception, as former Hoosier and 2024 third-round pick Luke Sinnard took the mound to make his High-A debut. The right-hander has been impressive this season with the GreenJackets, posting a 0.92 ERA, 41 strikeouts, and a 1.16 WHIP.
However, Luke faced some challenges on the mound this afternoon. Finishing with a final line of 5.2 innings pitched, six hits, five earned runs, and five strikeouts, Sinnard was tagged with the loss.
The Emperors collected eight hits, but didn’t break through until the bottom of the sixth. Bryson Horne delivered a two-out, two-run single, driving in Patrick Clohisy and Ambioris Tavarez to cut the Tourists’ lead to three.
Rome’s bullpen saw solid efforts from Cory Wall and Ryan Bourassa, who combined for 2.2 scoreless innings in relief. However, a solo home run to right field by Will Bush off Tyler LaPorte in the eighth inning pushed Asheville’s lead back to four.
In the end, the visiting Tourists walked away with the midday victory, defeating Rome by a final score of 6-2.
The Emperors will look to bounce back and reclaim the series lead on Thursday night. First pitch is set for 7:00 PM at AdventHealth Stadium, where right-hander Logan Samuels, the product of Montevallo, will make his home debut on the mound.