Drive Blank Hickory 5-0 in Friday Night Contest

August 25, 2023 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release

Zach Penrod and Casey Cobb combined for nine scoreless innings from the mound, and Eddinson Paulino and Karson Simas homered to boost the Greenville Drive (22-30, 58-60) to a 5-0 victory over the Hickory Crawdads (33-18, 60-52).

After ending their eight-game losing streak the previous night with a 5-2 victory, the Drive's Friday night victory evened the series between the two teams, setting up the weekend for either team to take the series or settle for a split.

Shaky as of late, Drive pitching followed up a strong night on Thursday with arguably a better performance Friday night. Penrod made his second start for the Drive after signing a Minor League contract with the Boston Red Sox on August 16, and notched his first win with his outing on Friday.

He was in control from the get-go in his six innings of work, cruising through 3.1 innings without allowing a hit. He'd ultimately allow just two hits on the night while striking out seven Hickory batters.

The Drive did their damage early in this one as well as Cutter Coffey drove in the night's first run with a double to score Roman Anthony in the first inning. Paulino, the second batter of the fourth inning, smacked his 10th home run of the year, sending a shot over the right center field wall. Kristian Campbell, making his Drive debut, tripled during the ensuing at bat setting up Gilberto Jimenez to bring home on a sacrifice fly before Simas sent his first homer of the year over the left center field wall to make it 4-0 Drive. The Drive's final run of the night would come on a wild pitch in the ninth scoring Simas from third base.

Cobb took over for Penrod in the seventh, working three innings that included four strikeouts. He'd allow three hits as well though only Wyatt Langford's double in the top of the ninth presented the Crawdads best chance to bring home a run off Cobb. But Cobb shut the door the rest of the way, preserving a 5-0 Drive victory.

The Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox) return to action on Saturday, August 26 at 7:00 p.m. against the Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers) for game five of the six-game series. The series is split, 2-2.

South Atlantic League Stories from August 25, 2023

• Ankeney, Cyclones Ditch Tourists in Nail-Biter, 6-5 - Brooklyn Cyclones
• Grasshoppers Take Down the Braves, 4-1 on Friday Evening - Greensboro Grasshoppers
• Bowling Green Puts Winston-Salem in Early Hole, Sink Dash 10-5 - Bowling Green Hot Rods
• Grasshoppers Dropped, 4-3 to Rome Thursday Evening - Greensboro Grasshoppers
• Drive Blank Hickory 5-0 in Friday Night Contest - Greenville Drive
• Owen Murphy Solid in High-A Debut - Rome Emperors
• Late Offensive Spur Not Enough as Dash Lose, 10-5 - Winston-Salem Dash
• Langford Picks Up 3 Hits In Loss - Hickory Crawdads
• Late Rally Comes Up One Run Short - Asheville Tourists
• Renegades Edge IronBirds, 6-5 - Hudson Valley Renegades
• Claws Fall 8-3 on Friday at Wilmington - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
• HVR Game Notes - August 25, 2023 - Hudson Valley Renegades
• Last Chance Homestand - August 29th - September 3rd: Final Six of Regular Season - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
• Winston-Salem Wins High Scoring Game Three, 14-11 - Winston-Salem Dash

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