Drive Begin Second Half with 11-6 Comeback Win
June 19, 2008 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release
Greenville, SC - The visiting Hickory Crawdads (30-41, 0-1) may have started the scoring barrage, but the Drive (41-30, 1-0) finished it as they plated six in the bottom of the eighth to rally for an 11-6 victory in the second half opener.
Trailing by as much as six runs, the Drive inched their way back into the ballgame and were down by just a run heading into the eighth. Sending 11 batters to the plate and tallying five hits, Greenville put a hurting on Hickory's duo of Wilson Ortiz (0-1) and Matt McSwain.
Ortiz began the frame by issuing three consecutive walks to Jered Stanley, David Mailman, and Oscar Tejeda before being pulled in favor of McSwain. But things didn't fare any better as Ty Weeden, the very next batter, laced a two-run double. Kristopher Negron, Che-Hsuan Lin, and Ryan Kalish all followed suit with RBI base hits before Yamaico Navarro capped the inning with a sacrifice fly.
The game began auspiciously for the Drive, as the Crawdads scored a pair in each of the first three innings off starter Jose Capellan. Miles Durham hit an RBI-single and Bobby Spain added a run-scoring groundout in the top of the first. An inning later, Danny Bomback doubled and later scored on an error and Albert Laboy hit an RBI double.
The Crawdads scored their final two runs in the third as Matt Cavagnaro followed back-to-back singles from Spain and Andrew Walker with an RBI-double. Bomback then hit a sacrifice fly.
From there the Drive began their comeback, getting solid relief work from Kyle Fernandes and Ryne Miller (1-0). Fernandes held the Hickory offense at bay, tossing four scoreless innings, allowing three hits while fanning two. Miller tossed the final two scoreless innings, surrendering two hits and a walk with one strikeout to earn his first victory.
Weeden started the Drive's rally in the third, leading off with a solo homer. Navarro then singled home Negron, who finished the game 3-for-4. Mike Jones cut Greenville's deficit to three runs with a sacrifice fly.
The Drive added single runs in the fourth and sixth innings before their monstrous eighth inning. Oscar Tejeda hit a one-out, solo homer in the fourth and Negron added an RBI-groundout two innings later.
The Drive and Crawdads continue their five-game series tomorrow evening with first pitch set for 7:05 PM at Fluor Field. Right-hander Terumasa Matsuo will toe the rubber for Greenville as Hickory counters with right-hander Duke Welker.
A spectacular Fireworks display will follow Friday's game. And don't forget Saturday is Mill League Night when the Drive will wear 1950's-era uniforms, honoring local mill league teams with all of the Drive's jerseys being auctioned off. For more information regarding single-game tickets, ticket plans, group outings and luxury accommodations, visit www.GreenvilleDrive.com or call (864) 240-4500.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 19, 2008
- Captains Blanked by Lakewood to Begin 2nd Half - Lake County Captains
- Braves rocked by Sand Gnats - Rome Emperors
- Drive Begin Second Half with 11-6 Comeback Win - Greenville Drive
- BlueClaws shutout Captains 5-0 to open second half - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Tourists pull out victory - Asheville Tourists
- Power plates four in the fourth; defeats Intimidators - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Catfish grab a win - Columbus Catfish
- Intimidators Open Second Half With 10-2 Loss To Power - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- GreenJackets Open Second Half of Season with Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- Sun sets on Shorebirds - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Suns pull out win over Shorebirds - Hagerstown Suns
- Captains to host a "Community First Pitch" - Lake County Captains
- 4th of July Fireworks at Classic Park - Lake County Captains
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