Stanton is your man:Hoppers move to (8-4) with victory…

Mike Stanton hit the would-be game winner with a solo home run in the fifth inning and extended his current hit streak to nine consecutive games as the Greensboro Grasshoppers won the series finale Monday against the Asheville Tourists, 3-2, at NewBridge Bank Park

With the win, the Hoppers won the series three games to one, and brought an end to an eight-game homestand in which they finished 5-3.

Greensboro’s first run of the game was walked in by Jhoulys Chacin in the first inning and two innings later Ben Lasater provided a sacrifice fly ball to plate Ryan Anetsberger for a 2-0 lead.

Stanton’s fifth-inning home run, his second of the season, was a solo home run to left field that proved to be the game-winner after Asheville (7-5) scored two runs in the sixth. Stanton finished the game going 2-for-4 from the plate for his team-leading sixth multi-hit game, including at least two hits in each of his last three games.

On the mound, Cristhian Martinez (1-0) pitched five scoreless innings before allowing both Tourists runs, although only one was earned. Martinez pitched 6.0 innings in all and gave up just four hits while striking out three batters.

Corey Madden, Brad Stone and Garrett Parcell combined to pitch three scoreless innings and preserve the win for the Grasshoppers who improved to 8-4 to remain atop the South Atlantic League’s Northern Division.

The Hoppers now hit the road for a six-game road trip which includes four games in Greenville and two in Kannapolis before returning hom on April 22 for a 7:00 p.m. game against Kannapolis.

*****from Justin Stottlemyre Greensboro Grasshoppers’ media assistant*****