Braves Drop Drive in Series Opener, 4-2
August 20, 2013 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release
The Rome Braves (30-28, 66-61) swept the Greenville Drive (25-30, 47-77) in a three-game series in May. They would continue to give the Drive trouble on Tuesday night, as they took a 4-2 win in the series opener at Fluor Field.
Drive starter Cody Kukuk (4-12) had retired 11 straight batters heading into the seventh inning. With the score tied at two, Rome quickly ended Kukuk's streak and untied the game, as Joey Meneses led off with an infield single and Chase Anselment cracked a two-run homer to right-center to push the score to the eventual final.
After Rome starter Jason Hursh threw just two innings, Rafael Briceno (5-7) came in and saved the bullpen with a dominant outing. He fired five shutout frames in relief, allowing four hits without walking a batter and punching out eight.
The Braves took a 2-0 lead in the first inning with four hits off Kukuk, including Carlos Franco's RBI double and Casey Kalenkosky's RBI single.
Kukuk was very effective between the first and the seventh, recording four 1-2-3 innings and allowing only an infield single. Overall, he went six and two-third innings, giving up eight hits and four runs with no walks and three strikeouts.
Boss Moanaroa knotted the game up in the bottom of the second, as he drove Hursh's offering over the wall in left-center for a two-run homer. It was Moanaroa's second homer in the last three games.
Franco, Meneses and Kyle Wren collected two hits apiece for Rome. Tim Roberson picked up three hits for Greenville to push his average up to .294.
Game two of the three-game series at Fluor Field begins at 7:05 on Wednesday night. RHP Justin Haley (7-8, 3.36) will start for the Drive, and the Braves will send RHP Lucas Sims (9-4, 2.83) to the mound.
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