Dreiling's Walk-Off Clinches 12-Inning Victory
May 21, 2025 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Hub City Spartanburgers News Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C - Pitching shined for nine innings at Fifth Third Park on Wednesday evening. Both the Spartanburgers (21-20) and the Emperors (22-19) managed just a single run in regulation. In extra innings, the Spartanburgers bullpen arms took over and provided enough time and chances for the offense to come through in a 3-2 walk-off win.
Across eight innings of relief, the Spartanburgers bullpen surrendered just a single hit to the Rome bats. Josh Mollerus (W, 5-0) provided a pair of one-two-three innings in extras, not allowing the automatic runner to score from second base in either frame.
Gleider Figuereo bashed his fifth home run of the season in the fifth inning, serving as the only run through nine innings for Hub City. Dylan Dreiling mashed the walk-off on an opposite-field screamer over the left fielder's head, scoring Anthony Gutierrez.
Both starters got through the first inning unscathed. Aidan Curry faced problems in the top of the second. Curry walked Ambioris Tavarez with one out; Tavarez advanced to second on a groundout, then scored on a passed ball and throwing error. Two runners reached after Tavarez crossed the dish, but Hub City's righty left them both stranded.
The Spartanburgers' only run through the scheduled nine innings came against Rome southpaw Herick Hernandez in the fifth. Figuereo smoked the second pitch of the inning, a chest-high fastball, over the right field fence. His fifth blast of the season tied Keith Jones II for the team lead and tied the game at 1-1.
Although Hub City threatened in the later innings, the offense couldn't break the deadlock. In total, the 'Burgers left 15 runners on base, eight of those from the sixth through ninth. In the bottom of the ninth, Quincy Scott led off the inning with a single, part of a three-for-four day at the dish. He was left on base after a foul bunt strikeout and a 1-4-3 double play.
As automatic runners came into play in extras, the lead changed hands. Rome scored on the very first pitch Wilian Bormie threw in the top of the 10th, as Jace Grady doubled down the right field line, bringing automatic runner Mac Guscette home and inching the Emperors in front, 2-1.
Hub City evened the game thanks to a few grains of sand in the bottom of the 10th. WIth two outs and the bases loaded, Julian Brock ripped a sizzler off the front of the mound, which also caromed off the pitcher, Isaac Gallegos. The ball deflected into the air and allowed Gutierrez to score to tie the game at 2-2.
Rome claimed the baseball didn't touch the ground, but the umpires stood firm; the game continued into the 11th, a scoreless frame for both sides. Gutierrez flied out to left and Brock was thrown out tagging up from third to extend the game to the 12th.
After Mollerus delivered his second scoreless frame, Dreiling bashed the third pitch he saw to the wall and won the game.
First pitch in the third matchup of six is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET Thursday. Lefties Josh Trentadue (1-1, 1.64 ERA) and Riley Frey (0-1, 4.29 ERA) square off.
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