SAL Greenville Drive

Drive Fall on a Walk-Off Double to Hot Rods, 4-3

Published on June 25, 2023 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


The Greenville Drive (37-32) took the Bowling Green Hot Rods (33-31) to their final strike twice in the bottom of the ninth, but two walks put the tying and winning runs on with two outs. Blake Robertson only needed one pitch to end it during the ensuing at-bat sending a hard liner down the left field line. The ball bounced off the gate in left field before Bryan Gonzalez whipped a throw to the cutoff Brainer Bonaci whose throw home to Alex Erro would be a step too late as the winning run crossed the plate, downing the Drive 4-3.

The Drive held the lead from the game's opening as Roman Anthony led off with his second lead-off home run of the series, sending a 1-2 count fastball on the outside half of the plate over the left field wall to give the Drive a 1-0 lead. Anthony's home run marked his fourth of the year and third home run as the first batter of the game for the Drive.

Blaze Jordan slashed a double late in the innings before Tyler Miller chipped in an RBI-single to centerfield brining Jordan in to double the lead to 2-0. In the second inning, Anthony doubled to right field scoring Karson Simas to make it 3-0 as the game flipped to the bottom of the fifth.

Drive starter Juan Daniel Encarnacion tossed a solid game for the Drive, cruising through the first four innings before giving up a run in the bottom of the fifth on home run to Kenny Piper to make it 3-1. Encarnacion finished the day tossing five innings, allowing just the solitary run on four hits while picking up five strike outs.

Relievers Jordan DiValerio and the Hot Rods' Keyshawn Askew kept the game in check through the sixth before Piper launched his second homer of the game in the seventh off DiValerio. DiValerio would be relieved with two outs in the eighth by Joey Stock with runners on first second. Stock would hurl a strikeout sending the game to the ninth.

After the Drive went down 1-2-3 in the top of the night, Stock collected two quick outs in the bottom of the ninth. He'd walk the next two batters after working the count full before Robertson dealt the fatal blow to the Drive's lead with his double brining in both runners to give the Hot Rods a Sunday afternoon victory.

Bowling Green took the six-game series 5-1, ending the Drive's five-series win streak that started with a 5-1 series victory over the Hot Rods during the week of May 16. The Drive (Boston Red Sox) return to action on Wednesday, June 28 in Asheville for a six-game series against the Asheville Tourists (Houston Astros).

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 25, 2023


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