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Greenville Drive

Mitch Dening's Walk-Off Homer Sends Drive to the SAL Championship Series

September 11, 2009 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release


Greenville, SC - It's been two straight games of dramatic finishes for the Drive. A night after winning on back-to-back ninth inning homers in Asheville, the Drive returned home and punched their ticket to the South Atlantic League Championship with another final inning bomb.

With the score knotted at 2-2, Mitch Dening sent a 3-1 offering from Rex Brothers (0-1) over the left-centerfield wall for a thrilling walk-off win.

Friday's contest was another prime showing from the starting pitchers Fabian Williamson and Dan Houston. Neither hurler surrendered a run until the top of the fifth inning when Asheville got on the board first.

Thomas Field laced a one-out triple and scored when Scott Robinson followed with a double. An inning later, the Tourists went up by two runs when Kiel Roling scored on Oscar Tejeda's throwing error.

But the Drive quickly responded, tying the game with two runs in the home half of the sixth. Following a leadoff single by Tejeda, Zach Gentile doubled down the rightfield line to score his teammate. One of last night's heroes, Ryan Lavarnway, then followed suit with a single that skipped off the diving Roling's glove to score Gentile.

Reliever Jeremy Kehrt (1-0) was light's out over the game's final three innings. The right-hander allowed singles in the seventh and eighth innings, only to have his defense erase the baserunners with a pair of double plays. In the ninth, Kehrt struckout the side.

Just like Thursday night, it was the first batter who struck a mighty blow to the Tourists reliever.

Following two off days, the Drive will travel to FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood, NJ for the South Atlantic League Championship. Both Games 1 and 2 will be at the BlueClaws' stadium on Monday and Tuesday, respectively. First pitch for both games will be at 7:05 PM.

The Best-of-5 series will closeout at Fluor Field with Games 3 through 5 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, respectively. Friday's and Saturday's games are if necessary. All first pitch times will be at 7:05 PM. For more information regarding single-game tickets, group outings, and luxury accommodations, visit www.GreenvilleDrive.com or call (864) 240-4500.

GAME NOTES:

Attendance was 4,072...the Drive are the first Greenville professional baseball team to advance to their respective league championship since the 1997 Braves...they went onto win the Double-A Southern League

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South Atlantic League Stories from September 11, 2009


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