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SAL1 Greenville Drive

Drive Unable to Cage RiverDogs, Lose 13-2

May 31, 2012 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release


Greenville, SC - The final day of May was not indicative of the rest of the month for the Drive (27-26), who bounced back after a subpar April. Greenville finished with an 18-10 record this month, but it ended on a sour note as the rival Charleston RiverDogs (33-20) uncorked a 13-2 beating Thursday night at Fluor Field

Hoping for more consistency from the pitching staff, the Drive chose to start right-hander Jason Garcia (1-3) on the mound, hoping for a second home victory in a row. Garcia started the game off right, holding Charleston scoreless in the game's initial inning and striking out a batter in the process.

The Drive didn't get anything going offensively either, and Garcia took the mound for the second inning, looking to build on his solid start. After two singles and a walk, the bases were loaded. Garcia gave up another hit, and Charleston took a quick 2-0 lead in second inning. Henry Ramos gave Greenville some life when he hit a double to deep centerfield. The Charleston defense held tight though, leaving the Drive scoreless through two innings.

The RiverDogs continued to consistently get on base in the third inning, tacking on another run and extending the lead to 3-0. After a De La Cruz double, a single by Cecchini and an error, De La Cruz scored for Greenville to finally to get their first run on the board. The third inning concluded with Charleston at a 3-1 lead.

Charleston knocked one out of the park early in the fourth, extending the RiverDog lead to 5-1. Greenville needed to get something going offensively, but didn't score any runs in the fourth inning. Garcia's struggles continued as Charleston homered once again with a runner on base, pushing Charleston's lead to 7-1 over the home team. To try and stop the onslaught, the Drive staff went with right-hander Tyler Wilson at the top of the fifth inning. Wilson didn't give up any more runs in the fifth, but Greenville didn't score any more either.

The sixth inning brought tales of the past from Greenville's pitching unit. Wilson gave up another home run, his second of the night. There was a runner on base, which extended the lead to 9-1. Later that inning, history repeated itself, as Charleston's Gary Sanchez hit his second two-run homer, giving Greenville a seemingly insurmountable 11-1 deficit to overcome.

Boss Moanaroa extended his hit streak to 14 games in a row with a double to center field in the bottom of the sixth. Drew Turocy followed with a single in which David Renfroe scored, giving Greenville their first run since the third inning. Greenville gave up two more runs in the seventh. Mike McCarthy pitched the seventh and eighth innings and gave up two unearned runs.

The Drive and RiverDogs continue their four-game series on Friday night, with first pitch set for 7:05 PM. Right-hander Yeiper Castillo (4-1, 3.20 ERA) will toe the rubber for Greenville, while Charleston counters with right-hander Bryan Mitchell (4-2, 2.40 ERA).

Following tomorrow night's game, fans will be treated to a spectacular post-game fireworks show. For ticket information, call (864) 240-4500 or visit GreenvilleDrive.com.

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 31, 2012


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