SAL1 Greenville Drive

Drive Rally Late to Beat RiverDogs, 8-5

Published on August 15, 2015 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release


Greenville, SC - Rain may have delayed the start of Saturday night's game at Fluor Field, but it was some offensive thunder that gave the Greenville Drive the victory, as they used a five-run eighth to stun the Charleston RiverDogs 8-5.

The Drive's (22-26, 60-58) rally began when Yoan Moncada singled up the middle to begin the inning. Michael Chavis then drove an Alex Robinett (0-1) offering into the Drive bullpen in right for a game-tying homer, his second long ball of the night.

Following a double by Rafael Devers, a Charleston pitching change didn't help, as Nick Longhi singled to put runners on the corners, and Javier Guerra singled Devers in to put the Drive on top. A wild pitch plated Longhi later in the inning, and an RBI groundout by Mike Meyers tacked on the final run.

The late-game heroics made a winner out of Ryan Harris (2-4) who fired two scoreless relief innings and coaxed a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.

Charleston took a 1-0 lead against Jeffry Fernandez when Bo Thompson lifted a sacrifice fly to center. In the bottom half, Moncada single-handedly tied the game when he walked, stole second and third and came home when the catcher's throw sailed into left field.

Chavis stepped to the plate in the third against Jordan Foley and cranked a solo home run over the Green Monster in left to put the Drive ahead 2-1.

Those two runs were the only damage done against Foley, who stumped Drive batters early by recording his first nine outs via strikeout. In five innings, the homer in the third was the only hit Foley allowed, and he punched out 10.

Vicente Conde provided the remainder of the RiverDogs offense on the night, swatting a three-run homer off Fernandez in the fifth to give Charleston the lead and hitting a second home run off Jamie Callahan in the seventh.

The Drive got a run back in the seventh when Danny Mars doubled and later scored on an RBI groundout by J.T. Watkins.

Chavis's big night ended with two homers, his 13th and 14th of the season, with three RBI. Conde led Charleston with two homers, three hits and four RBI, while Angel Aguilar collected a pair of hits.

The rubber game of the series begins at 4:05 on Sunday afternoon at Fluor Field. LH Dedgar Jimenez (6-8, 4.47) takes the mound for the Drive, while the RiverDogs will start RH Matt Marsh (1-4, 2.82).Offi

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 15, 2015


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