Brannon's Two Homers Power Drive Past BlueClaws, 6-3, for Fifth Straight Win

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SAL Greenville Drive

Brannon's Two Homers Power Drive Past BlueClaws, 6-3, for Fifth Straight Win

May 31, 2025 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


GREENVILLE, S.C. - Brooks Brannon homered twice and drove in four runs to lift the Greenville Drive to a 6-3 win over the Jersey Shore BlueClaws on Saturday night at Fluor Field, extending the Drive's winning streak to five games and pulling them within two games of first place in the South Atlantic League South Division.

Brannon, the Drive's designated hitter, delivered a solo shot in the fourth inning and put the game away in the eighth with a two-run blast to left-center, his fourth and fifth home runs of the season. Greenville (25-25) improved to .500 for the first time since April 20 and has outscored opponents 38-19 during its win streak.

Red Sox No. 12 Prospect Miguel Bleis gave Greenville an early lead with a solo home run in the first off Jersey Shore starter Casey Steward (2-6), his sixth of the year. Brannon's first homer tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth, and he later singled home a run in the sixth as part of a two-run inning that put the Drive in front for good.

Nelly Taylor got on base three times with two singles and a hit-by-pitch, scoring once. Antonio Anderson went 1-for-4 and scored two runs, including on Brannon's second homer.

Carson DeMartini led the BlueClaws (17-32) with a home run, single, two stolen bases, and two runs scored. His solo shot off John Holobetz in the third tied the game at 1-1 and sparked a two-run inning that briefly gave Jersey Shore the lead.

John Holobetz (4.1 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 5 K) took over for Chris Murphy who was making his second rehab start with the Drive in the second and gave up all three BlueClaws runs, but it was Drive newcomer Shea Sprague (1-0) who earned the win with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief. Sprague struck out five and allowed just one hit while stranding two inherited runners in the sixth.

The Drive turned the tide in the sixth when Taylor led off with a single and Brannon followed later with an RBI knock. Nazzan Zanetello added an RBI single as Greenville capitalized on an error by BlueClaws center fielder Elio Prado to take a 4-3 lead.

The eighth saw Greenville add insurance after Anderson reached on a throwing error by DeMartini. Brannon capitalized by launching a 3-1 pitch from Drew Garrett over the wall for his second homer of the night, giving the Drive a 6-3 advantage.

Tempers flared in the late innings, with Drive reliever Danny Kirwin and BlueClaws designated hitter Jordan Dissin both ejected - Kirwin in the seventh for arguing from the dugout, and Dissin in the ninth after taking a called third strike.

Steward was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out five and walked one, throwing 105 pitches.

The Drive (25-25) now sit just 2 1/2 games back of division-leading Bowling Green and can capture a valuable series sweep over Jersey Shore (17-32) in Sunday's finale. First pitch at Fluor Field is scheduled for 3:05 p.m.

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from May 31, 2025


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