Dash Build Early Lead, Drive Unable to Push Runs Across When Needed
Published on July 9, 2025 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Greenville Drive fell back to .500 on the season and dropped to 8-8 in the second half of the South Atlantic League slate Wednesday night at Fluor Field, as an early home run and late insurance runs propelled the visiting Winston-Salem Dash to a 5-2 win in front of 3,067 fans.
Braden Montgomery's first-inning two-run homer off Greenville starter Shea Sprague set the tone for the Dash (30-52), who never trailed on the night. Winston-Salem piled up eight hits, used four pitchers to limit the Drive to six, and stole five bases-including two in a decisive two-run seventh-to snap Greenville's modest two-game win streak and tighten the divisional race.
Sprague (1-2) worked five innings, giving up three earned on five hits and a walk while striking out three. After Montgomery's blast in the first-his eighth of the season-the Drive scratched back with a run in the second but could never draw even.
Albert Feliz drove in both Greenville runs, starting with an RBI double in the second to plate Justin Riemer and cut the early deficit in half. But the Drive offense, which fanned 12 times on the night, left seven men on base and grounded into a costly double play in the seventh that undercut a rally chance.
After Sprague kept Winston-Salem within reach through four, the Dash added an important third run in the fifth. A hit batter and bunt single set up Jeral Perez's two-out RBI double to left that chased Juan Gonzalez home for a 3-1 lead.
Greenville had few answers against the Dash bullpen. Christian Oppor struck out 10 over 4.2 innings, then turned things over to Jake Peppers (3-3), who earned the win in relief by working into the seventh despite allowing Feliz's two-out RBI single that briefly narrowed the gap to 5-2.
The turning point came in the top of the seventh when the Dash turned their wheels loose. After a leadoff hit-by-pitch and a walk from reliever Danny Kirwin, Terrell Tatum and Sam Antonacci pulled off a double steal. Jeral Perez then lifted a sacrifice fly to center that plated Tatum, and Montgomery followed with a clutch RBI single up the middle to push the lead to 5-1.
Hudson White and Miguel Bleis each doubled for Greenville, with White scoring the Drive's final run. Feliz finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, while Bleis collected his 12th two-bagger of the year. But the middle of the order struggled-Nazzan Zanetello, Freili Encarnacion and Will Turner combined to go hitless with seven strikeouts.
Greenville's last real threat came in the eighth when Bleis ripped a leadoff double, but Peppers, Luke Bell, and closer Gil Luna (save No. 1) combined to slam the door. Luna worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth by picking off Riemer and retiring the final two batters to seal it.
Speed was a factor all night for Winston-Salem, which swiped five bags, including two each from Tatum and Antonacci, and stayed aggressive to force Drive mistakes. Catcher Hudson White did throw out Wilber Sanchez attempting to steal in the eighth and helped turn a double play in the fifth to limit further damage.
Sprague took the loss despite keeping the Drive within striking distance. Jacob Webb and Isaac Stebens each turned in scoreless frames out of the bullpen, but Kirwin's shaky seventh-two runs on two hits, two walks, and two stolen bases-proved too much to overcome.
With the loss, the Drive (41-41) fall two games behind the Bowling Green Hot Rods for the second-half lead in the SAL South Division. The series continues Thursday night at Fluor Field as Greenville tries to regain momentum before heading into the weekend.
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