Matt Rizzotti’s home run to lead off the 11th inning spelled doom for the Asheville Tourists on July 20, as the home team fell by a 4-3 score in the opener of a four-game set with the Lakewood BlueClaws at Asheville’s McCormick Field.

The Tourists trailed 3-1 going into the final inning, thanks in part to Travis Mattair’s ninth-inning solo home run off Cory Riordan.

Against Lakewood closer Jered Simon (6-2), Helder Velazquez and David Christensen reached base on a pair of infield errors.

With one out, pinch hitter Kevin Clark stroked a double to right-center to score Velazquez and cut the lead in half.

Then Beau Seabury’s RBI single tied the game and after Everth Cabrera was intentionally walked to load the bases, Simon got Michael Mitchell to ground into a fielder’s choice and Brian Rike to ground out to send the game to extra innings.

The Tourists threatened in the 10th, with one man on base with one out. Darin Holcomb reached second, but Christensen’s ground ball to the left side of the infield hit Holcomb’s heel and caromed into centerfield.

Holcomb was ruled out and David Christensen — awarded first on the play — was later caught stealing, to end the threat.