Bleis' Blast, Encarnacion's Walk-Off Single Lift Drive Past Dash, 2-1
July 8, 2025 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. - On a sweltering Tuesday night at Fluor Field, the Greenville Drive found just enough timely hitting - and a big ninth-inning swing from Freili Encarnacion - to walk off the Winston-Salem Dash, 2-1, and push back over .500 at 41-40.
Miguel Bleis jump-started the Drive early with a solo home run in the first inning, but it took more than eight innings and a dose of late-game grit for Greenville to secure its fifth walk-off win of the season.
Facing Dash starter Frankeli Arias, Bleis wasted no time making his presence felt. After Franklin Arias flew out to right, Bleis turned on an 0-1 pitch and sent it sailing over the left-field wall for his 12th homer of the year. Nelly Taylor kept the pressure on with a double to left-center, but Arias stranded him by striking out Johanfran Garcia and Nazzan Zanetello.
Greenville starter Michael Sansone worked 3.2 scoreless innings before Darvin Garcia and Manuel Medina took over in relief. The Dash tied the game at 1-1 in the sixth when Braden Montgomery singled with two outs and advanced on Arxy Hernandez's base hit. A costly fielding error by Antonio Anderson at first moved both runners up, and Samuel Zavala's aggressive baserunning forced the tying run across. The Dash, however, stranded two runners and would rue multiple missed opportunities later.
Winston-Salem left seven runners on base and went just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, including stranding Sam Antonacci at third in the eighth after his leadoff double.
Greenville's defense made just enough plays to keep the score tied. In the fifth, left fielder Will Turner came up firing on a single by Cole McConnell, cutting down Jackson Appel at the plate to preserve the 1-0 lead at that moment.
Medina (1-0) earned the win with three scoreless innings, working around Antonacci's double in the eighth and striking out three. He also picked off McConnell at first in the seventh.
The Drive threatened in the eighth when Turner walked, then stole both second and third base off reliever Phil Fox. But Greenville came up empty when Garcia struck out with runners at second and third.
After Medina mowed down the Dash in order in the ninth, the Drive wasted no time setting up the winning moment. Zanetello, despite an 0-for-3 night with two strikeouts to that point, worked a leadoff walk from Winston-Salem's Morris Austin (3-2). Antonio Anderson flied out, but Yophery Rodriguez delivered with a clutch double to left, sending Zanetello to third.
That brought up Encarnacion, who had been quiet most of the night. The third baseman lined a clean single up the middle, bringing Zanetello across with the winning run as the Fluor Field crowd of 4,200 erupted.
The Drive staff combined to allow eight hits but just one unearned run. Sansone, Garcia, and Medina struck out six and walked only one.
On the other side, the Dash wasted strong outings from Arias, who fanned four in five innings, and Nick Altermatt, who held Greenville hitless over two frames. Phil Fox struck out three in the eighth but was undone by Austin's inability to hold the ninth.
The Drive (41-40) continue their six-game homestand against the Dash (29-52) on Wednesday night, looking to build momentum after taking the opener in dramatic fashion. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. at Fluor Field.
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