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SAL1 Greenville Drive

Drive Falter in Game 1 of Day-Night Doubleheader

August 21, 2012 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release


Greenville, SC - Sometimes, things just don't go your way. The Greenville Drive (57-69, 23-33) know that feeling all too well right now, and game one of Tuesday's doubleheader at Fluor Field serves as a prime example. The last two innings provided roller coaster action that jarringly ended with the Drive on the wrong side of a 6-5 game against the visiting Augusta GreenJackets (63-63, 31-26).

After trailing 3-1 headed to the bottom of the sixth, the Drive began a furious comeback that saw them take the lead. Garin Cecchini started things off with a single to right and a quick swipe of second base. Keury De la Cruz followed with a walk, and after a double steal put runners on second and third, Henry Ramos' groundout to first brought Cecchini home to cut the lead to one.

After a strikeout and a walk, pinch hitter Blake Swihart lined a single over the second baseman to knot things at three. Nick Natoli quickly followed by lacing a two-run double to the wall in right-center, giving the Drive a 5-3 lead.

Dylan Chavez (0-2) came in for Greenville in the seventh to try and record the save, and after a good start to the inning, things quickly fell apart. Chavez punched out a pair of GreenJackets hitters to begin the frame and had two strikes on Jose Flores before he lined a double to right. After Brett Krill was hit by a pitch, Devin Harris came up and smoked a three-run homer off the condos in left to give the GreenJackets the lead for good.

That made a winner of Augusta reliever Kyle Vazquez (5-3), despite allowing all four runs in the Drive's sixth-inning rally. Andrew Berger threw the seventh to record his first save.

Both teams got solid efforts out of their starters. Greenville's Kyle Kraus allowed just a single run in four innings in his first start of the season, while Augusta's Kevin Couture threw four scoreless frames.

Augusta got on the board against Kraus in the top half of the fourth when Garrett Buechele snuck a solo homer over the wall in left to make it a 1-0 game. They added two runs in the fifth to extend the lead to 3-0. Elliott Blair reached on an error by new Drive hurler Scott Swinson, and after a single by Carlos Willoughby and two outs, Krill singled into right to bring home both runners.

The Drive finally scored in the bottom of the fifth against DeMondre Arnold. Natoli lined a single to left that plated Ramos, who led off the inning with a walk.

Flores and Krill each collected a pair of hits for the GreenJackets, while Harris drove in three runs thanks to his seventh-inning heroics. Natoli had a stellar day for the Drive, going 2-3 while driving in three. Cecchini swiped three bases to push his season total to 43.

Game two of the doubleheader between these two teams is on Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM. The Drive will send RHP Jason Garcia (6-5, 6.08) to the mound, while Augusta's starter is RHP Kyle Crick (6-6, 2.34).

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from August 21, 2012


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