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Greenville Drive

Drive Routed by Intimidators, 9-1, in Series Opener

August 28, 2012 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release


Kannapolis, NC - Making his first start in over two-and-a-half months, the rust was apparent for Drive (60-73, 27-36) starting pitcher Madison Younginer (1-7). Coming off a strained lat muscle, the right-hander lasted just two innings in Tuesday night at Kannapolis, as the Intimidators (61-72, 27-36) tagged him for eight runs en route to a 9-1 victory in the series opener.

Neither Greenville nor Kannapolis wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard, as both teams plated runs in their first turn at bat. Nick Natoli led off the game with a single, and came around to score on Keury De la Cruz's two-out double.

The Intimidators countered, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and blowing the game wide open in the second with six more runs. Joe DeMichele's two-run homer not only gave Kannapolis the lead, but it set the table for an offensive surge. All six of the Intimidators' runs in the second inning came with two outs, with Courtney Hawkins' three-run blast giving Kannapolis a four-run advantage.

While Kannapolis added one more run in the bottom of the third, the Drive's offense went stagnant over the remainder of the game. Greenville tallied seven more hits in the game, but never plated another run as Euclides Leyer (2-1) combined with a pair of relievers to shutdown the opposition.

Luis Diaz pitched solid in relief of Younginer, allowing one run on 5 hits over the final 6.0 innings, but the early deficit was insurmountable for the Greenville offense. The Drive were led by Boss Moanaroa and Jose Garcia's three-hits apiece, but lacked the key hit as the team was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

The Drive will look to avenge the series opening loss, as they play the Intimidators again on Wednesday, with first pitch set for 7:05 PM from CMC-NorthEast Stadium. Right-hander Jason Garcia (6-6, 6.21 ERA) will toe the rubber for Greenville, while Kannapolis counters with southpaw Chris Hanna (1-3, 5.06 ERA).

The Drive return home to Fluor Field on Friday, August 31st to closeout the 2012 season with a four-game series against the Hickory Crawdads. The final homestand kicks-off with a bang, with the final Friday Night Fireworks show of the season. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Fluor Field Box Office, calling (864) 240-4528, or logging onto GreenvilleDrive.com.

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