Drive Blank Emperors 2-0, Head to All-Star Break with Back-To-Back Series Wins

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SAL Greenville Drive

Drive Blank Emperors 2-0, Head to All-Star Break with Back-To-Back Series Wins

July 14, 2024 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


Allan Castro's two-RBI base knock in the second inning was ultimately the difference on Sunday at AdventHealth Stadium as a quartet of Greenville Drive (12-9, 38-49) pitchers stifled the Rome Emperors (7-14, 43-42) to earn a 2-0 victory and give Greenville their second consecutive series victory of the second half.

The Greenville Drive are now winners of eight of their last 12 games and sit a game back of first place in South Atlantic League South Division at the time of this writing.

Castro's knock in the second continued a stellar week for the highly touted prospect who appeared in five of the six games in the series. For the week he collected eight hits with a .444 average with four homers and eight RBI, a prime contender for SAL Player of the Week honors.

His sharp single to center rewarded the efforts of Ronald Rosario who led off with a single and Jhostynxon Garcia who followed up with a double to put two runners in scoring position. Both runners crossed the plate on Castro's knock without a play at the plate.

Yordanny Monegro, whose outings on the mound this season have been up and down, turned in a strong performance for the Drive picking up eight strikeouts in five total innings with one walk and three hits.

After Castro's knock the Drive picked up just two hits the rest of the way as the pitching trio of Jared Johsnon, Isaac Gallegos, and Ryan Bourassa silenced the Drive offense.

Greenville's relief trio would do much of the same as Nathan Landry, Bryce Bonnin, and Isacc Stebens combined to allow just two hits and collect six strikeouts over the final four frames.

Landry and Bonnin were each credited with holds as Landry tossed a perfect sixth inning on just 13 pitches while Bonnin collected two strikeouts as he worked the seventh and eighth.

Rome's best chance would come in the eighth as Bonnin hit Tim Borden II with a pitch and allowed a Kevin Kilpatrick single before a Sabin Ceballos fly out to center put Borden and Kilpatrick at third and second respectively.

Bonnin held firm, picking up a key strikeout of Ethan Workinger to send the game to the ninth.

Isaac Stebens made things interesting in the ninth allowing a leadoff single before picking up back-to-back strikeouts. He walked Nick Ward to put the winning run at home plate but struck out Nick Clarno to preserve the Drive's 2-0 victory and earn his fourth save of the year.

The Drive enter the All-Star Break following the conclusion of today's game and will not return to action until July 19th at Fluor Field for the start of three game series with South Division leaders, the Bowling Green Hot Rods, affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.

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