Drive Close the Home 2025 Season on a High Note, Blast Bowling Green 9-3
SAL Greenville Drive

Drive Close the Home 2025 Season on a High Note, Blast Bowling Green 9-3

Published on August 31, 2025 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


Greenville, S.C. - The Greenville Drive (63-63) closed out their 2025 regular season home slate in emphatic fashion Sunday night, erupting for eight runs across the 4th and 5th innings to defeat the Bowling Green Hot Rods (64-60) 9-3 before 5,122 fans at Fluor Field.

The win keeps Greenville squarely in the thick of the South Division playoff chase. With Hub City's win, the Drive remain two games back of first place, but they finish the homestand tied for second with Bowling Green, keeping their postseason hopes alive heading into the season's final week.

Early Trading Before Greenville's Breakthrough

Greenville struck first in the 2nd when Mason White and Yophery Rodriguez notched back-to-back singles, setting the table for Freili Encarnacion's RBI knock to left that plated White for a 1-0 lead.

Bowling Green responded in the 3rd, taking advantage of a wild inning. Hunter Haas doubled, and after a walk and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, an error by Maximus Martin allowed a run to score. Angel Mateo later worked a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to force home another tally, giving the Hot Rods a 2-1 edge.

Drive starter Austin Ehrlicher lasted 2.2 innings, charged with two runs, before handing the ball to Manuel Medina, who would stabilize the middle frames.

Five-Run Fourth Sparks the Crowd

The Drive quickly wrestled back control in the 4th with a decisive rally. Johanfran Garcia and Mason White singled to set the tone, and after an error loaded the bases, Rodriguez punched a two-run single into left-center to put Greenville back on top, 3-2.

Arias followed with an RBI single, and later in the inning Nelly Taylor ripped a two-out, two-run double to right, capping a five-run outburst that sent Fluor Field into a frenzy and pushed the lead to 6-2.

Encarnacion Delivers the Exclamation Point

After Bowling Green trimmed the deficit to 6-3 in the 5th on Mateo's RBI single, Greenville answered with one more big swing. With two on, Encarnacion unloaded on a first-pitch fastball from Seth Chavez, sending it over the wall in left for a three-run homer, his 8th of the season, that broke the game open at 9-3.

Encarnacion finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs, while Rodriguez and Taylor each drove in two. White added two hits and scored three times, helping pace an 11-hit attack.

Pitching Closes the Door

From there, the Drive bullpen was airtight. Medina (W, 3-1) earned the victory with 3.1 innings of one-run ball, striking out five. Joe Vogatsky recorded the final nine outs for his first save, scattering three hits and fanning three.

Hot Rods starter Santiago Suarez (L, 0-3) was knocked around for six runs - three earned - on seven hits in 3.1 innings. Bowling Green finished just 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, leaving 10 men stranded.

Fluor Field Sends the Team Off

The Drive closed their 20th anniversary season at Fluor Field with a celebratory win, backed by an energized crowd that roared through the late fireworks display.

With six road games remaining, Greenville sits at 63-63, tied with Bowling Green for second place in the South Division's second-half standings, two games back of Hub City.

The Drive will hit the road for the season's final push, knowing every game could determine whether their 20th season ends with a shot at a South Atlantic League playoff berth.

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



South Atlantic League Stories from August 31, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central