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SAL Greenville Drive

Blaze, Bonaci Impressive as Drive Fall to Dash, 8-7

May 9, 2023 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


A hot-start for the Greenville Drive (12-15) wasn't enough to eke out a win as the Winston-Salem Dash (19-7) battled back from a 5-1 hole to win, 8-7. Despite the result, two Drive players were impressive tonight as Blaze Jordan was 3-for-5 at the plate tonight with home run (his fifth of the year) and a pair of doubles; while shortstop Brainer Bonaci went 2-for-3 with a home run and drew two walks. The Dash victory was bolstered by a five-run fifth inning after a mostly quiet night at the plate turned into the consistency they needed to claw their way back.

The first three innings provided plenty of offense for the Drive, as they quickly erased the 1-0 Winston-Salem lead. With Eddinson Paulino on third, Blaze Jordan slapped a double to the right field gap to knot the game at 1-1. Bryan Gonzalez followed that up with a chopper to shortstop Taishi Nakawake, whose throw to home was mishandled by catcher Wes Kath, allowing Jordan to score.

The Drive chipped in another pair of runs in the second inning thanks to an Alex Erro solo homer (his first of the year), and a wild pitch later in the inning which scored Paulino to make it 4-1.

Heavy rains fell over Fluor Field as the top of third got underway forcing the game into a 45-minute delay ending the night for Drive starter Wikelman Gonzalez who recorded 2.1 innings worked allowing just one run on one hit while issuing four walks and striking out three.

As the game resumed, Jordan continued his free-swinging ways in the third, slicing a double to left field to lead off the inning. He'd get to third on a Brainer Bonaci single and come around to score on a Miguel Ugueto ground out giving the Drive a 5-1 lead.

But Winston-Salem appeared unfazed by the four run deficit as they chipped in five runs of their own in the fifth as they finally figured out Drive reliever, Joe Jones and got to reliever Nate Tellier with two outs, taking a 6-5 lead.

Jordan and Bonaci would see to it that the Dash lead didn't last long. With a 1-0 count, Jordan blasted his fifth homer of the year to the top of the Green Monster knotting the game at 6-6. Bonaci would send a 3-1 pitch over the Green Monster during the ensuing at-bat; a 390-foot long-ball that cracked off the Drive front office building making it 7-6.

The Dash would stay resilient however, as a pair of doubles in the sixth knotted the game back up at 7-7.

The game would be quiet until the ninth, as Wilfred Veras led off the inning with a double and Wes Kath followed that up with a single to plate the go-ahead run making it, 8-7 off reliever Robert Kwiatkowski.

The Drive had their chance in the bottom of the ninth as Bryan Gonzalez led of the bottom of the inning with a triple and Bonaci walked to put runners on the corners with no outs. But a double-play and pop-fly ended the night for the Drive preserving the 8-7 Dash victory.

The Drive (Boston Red Sox) and Winston-Salem Dash (Chicago White Sox) return to action tomorrow, May 10 at 2 p.m. for game two of the six-game series at Fluor Field.

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 9, 2023


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