Arias Sparks Early Lead, Bullpen Shines as Drive Edge Hot Rods 4-3

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SAL Greenville Drive

Arias Sparks Early Lead, Bullpen Shines as Drive Edge Hot Rods 4-3

May 22, 2025 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


BOWLING GREEN, KY. - Franklin Arias continued his torrid start to the season with a four-hit night, and the Greenville Drive (19-23) pieced together a critical three-run fourth inning before leaning on a stellar bullpen performance to edge the Bowling Green Hot Rods (22-20), 4-3, on Thursday night.

Arias set the tone immediately, lining a leadoff triple to right field in the top of the first. Two batters later, center fielder Nelly Taylor brought him home with a sacrifice fly to deep center, giving the Drive a quick 1-0 lead.

Drive starter Noah Dean (1-1) was sharp over five innings, allowing just two hits and two earned runs while striking out four. His lone blemish came in the bottom of the third when Bowling Green's Aidan Smith launched a two-out, two-run homer to left, flipping the score 2-1 in favor of the Hot Rods.

But the Drive responded immediately.

In the fourth, Taylor led off with a single and swiped second base, his 13th steal of the season. Antonio Anderson followed with one of his three hits, a single to right, putting runners at the corners. Brooks Brannon tied the game with a single to left-center, and Justin Riemer added an RBI single of his own to make it 3-2. Andy Lugo capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to foul territory in third, scoring Brannon to extend the lead to 4-2.

Greenville's offense cooled off after that, but the early surge was just enough.

Michael Sansone took over for Dean in the sixth and worked three innings of solid relief, allowing one run on a solo shot to left by Ryan Cermak that trimmed the Drive's lead to 4-3. Sansone worked around a hit batter and a double later that inning, keeping the tying run stranded in scoring position.

In the bottom of the ninth, right-hander Isaac Stebens slammed the door with a dominant inning. After a leadoff strikeout, Jhon Diaz singled to center to put the tying run aboard, but Stebens bounced back to punch out Adrian Santana and froze Aidan Smith on a called third strike to secure his second save of the season.

Arias finished 4-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored, lifting his season average to .350. He recorded hits in four different innings and was a constant source of pressure atop the Greenville lineup. Anderson also chipped in three hits, including a double, while Brannon, Riemer, Taylor, and Lugo each drove in a run.

Despite striking out eight times and not drawing a single walk, the Drive outhit Bowling Green 12-6 and went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Dean improved to 1-1, lowering his ERA to 3.60. The lefty worked around three walks and a hit batter, inducing enough soft contact to give his team a chance to build a lead. Sansone (hold) and Stebens (save) combined for four innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts between them.

Cermak led Bowling Green with two extra-base hits and an RBI, while Smith added his second homer of the season. However, the Hot Rods went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners.

The Drive and Hot Rods continue their series Friday night at Bowling Green Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. EST.

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from May 22, 2025


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