SAL Greenville Drive

Drive Routed 17-2 by Hot Rods, Setting up Thursday Showdown for First

Published on June 21, 2023 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


The Greenville Drive (36-29) will have to wait one more day to know if they'll clinch a spot in the 2023 South Atlantic League playoffs, as the Bowling Green Hot Rods (30-30) strung together a nine-run inning, a five-run inning and a three-run inning to down the Drive, 17-2. An 11-2 loss by the Winston-Salem Dash earlier in the day, keeps the Drive a half-game up in the SAL South Division standings, setting up an important Thursday for both teams.

Should the Drive win tomorrow, the team will clinch a spot in the playoffs and be crowned the SAL South First Half Champions. Should Winston-Salem and the Drive lose tomorrow, the Drive will clinch a playoff spot and the title. Should the Drive lose, and Winston-Salem win tomorrow, the Drive will finish in second place in the SAL South and have to contend for a playoff spot in the second half of the season.

Though the night ultimately went to the Hot Rods, the Drive struck first as Roman Anthony continued his hard hitting ways in the leadoff spot for the Drive, barreling up a 3-1 ball over the heart of the plate and sending it on a hard liner over the right field wall for his third homer of the year, giving the Drive a 1-0 lead.

After spinning six hitless innings in his last outing, Dalton Rogers would pick two more hitless innings Wednesday night in Bowling Green before the script would flip on the lefty as the Hot Rods erupted for seven runs with two outs in the third inning.

Rogers cruised through the first two innings living in the strike zone and picking up quick outs. But as he picked up two outs in the third, the Hot Rods strung together an RBI-single, a walk, a three-run RBI-single, an RBI-triple, and a two-run homer before Rogers would be pulled for reliever Jordan DiValerio.

DiValerio inherited the 7-1 deficit, but the lead would only grow as the Hot Rods added a triple then an RBI-double and RBI-single to make it 9-1 as the game flipped to the fourth.

Alex Erro cut the lead to 9-2 in the fifth as he sent his second homer of the year over the center field wall. But any dreams of a comeback were dashed in the sixth as the Hot Rods added five more runs off reliever Aaron Perry thanks to a pair of RBI-singles and a three-run homer to make it 14-2.

The Hot Rods would add another three-run shot in the eighth off reliever Nathan Landry as Kamren James took one for a ride over the left field wall, boosting the lead to 17-2. The game would remain that way as Greenville could not overcome the massive deficit.

The Drive (Boston Red Sox) return to action tomorrow in Bowling Green with first pitch set for 7:35 p.m. Should the SAL South Division standings remain unchanged at the conclusion of the game, the Drive will clinch a playoff spot and be crowned the SAL South First-Half Champions.

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 21, 2023


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