Drive Earn Series Split with 'Hoppers; Take Sunday Game 11-2
August 13, 2023 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release
The Greenville Drive (20-22, 56-52) plated four runs in the second and again in the fourth on Sunday afternoon to help earn a series split with the Greensboro Grasshoppers (20-21, 56-49) and take the finale of the homestand, 11-2.
The series split seemed out of reach considering the Drive allowed 18 home runs to the 'Hoppers during the week while only picking up four of their own. Yet, the resilient Drive found a way to win back-to-back games to the end the series including a 8-7 thriller on Saturday night that saw the Drive comeback from a 7-2 deficit. Early in the series it looked as if Drive pitching could not buy an out nor a scoreless inning as the 'Hoppers teed off. But on Sunday, besides the offense explosion, the Drive were carried thanks to a stellar bullpen outing which saw six relievers split the day's duties.
Noah Song saw his first spot start of the year, tossing two innings while striking out three and allowing just one hit. His efforts would set the tone for the day.
In rather unconventional fashion the Drive plated four runs in the second inning - without recording a hit. Bryan Gonzalez reached on a fielding error before three consecutive walks brought him home. Cutter Coffey walked for another run before Max Ferguson and Roman Anthony each grounded out to cap the Drive's four-RBI, no-hit inning.
Greenville's Jordan DiValerio took over Song in the third, tossing two perfect innings that included two strike outs before giving way to Robert Kwiatkowski in the fifth. Kwiatkowski's relief effort would also be two innings where he struck out four, walked two and gave up a solo homer to Termarr Johnson.
Gonzalez would see to it that the no-hitter didn't extend another inning, sending a 392-foot blast off the building behind the Green Monster for his 10th homer of the year putting the Drive up 5-0 in the third. The Drive ordered up another four-running in the fourth that began with a Max Ferguson two-run homer, his fourth of the season, to make it 7-0. Kyle Teel laced a double off the Green Monster two batters later bringing in Anthony before a Gonzalez groundout later in the inning brought home Teel to put the Drive up 9-0.
Johnson's homer made it 9-1 but the Drive continued to put up runs, scoring on an Allan Castro grounder through the right side in the sixth and an Anthony groundout in the seventh putting the Drive up 11-1.
Greensboro scratched across one more in the eighth on a Jack Brannigan RBI-single in the eighth capping the scoring at 11-2.
The Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox) return to action on Tuesday, August 15 at the Winston-Salem Dash (Chicago White Sox) for the beginning of a 12-game road trip that will also take them to Hickory, NC to face the SAL South Division Second-Half leaders, the Crawdads (Texas Rangers). The Drive will return to action at Fluor Field on Tuesday, August 29 to face the Brooklyn Cyclones (New York Mets).
South Atlantic League Stories from August 13, 2023
- Winston-Salem Takes Series Finale over Rome, 7-2 - Winston-Salem Dash
- Drive Earn Series Split with 'Hoppers; Take Sunday Game 11-2 - Greenville Drive
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