Drive Shutout West Virginia, 4-0, to Split Series

May 20, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release

GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Greenville Drive blanked the West Virginia Power, 4-0, behind 7.0 scoreless innings from Thaddeus Ward on Monday night at Fluor Field. The Drive (17-26) took the final two games of the series to split the four-game series with the Power (22-21).

The Drive opened an early lead with three runs in the third. Grant Williams opened the frame with a single and Cole Brannen moved to second with a sac bunt. Tyler Esplin singled to center to score Williams and and make it a 1-0 game.

Devlin Granberg followed with a single to put two aboard, before a wild pitch allowed both runners to move up. Jordan Wren scored Esplin with an RBI groundout and Triston Casas followed with an RBI single to give the home team a 3-0 lead.

Ward took it from there, as the right-hander retired the final 15 batters he faced to work five straight 1-2-3 innings from the third inning on. He finished with 7.0 scoreless innings and allowed just four hits with seven strikeouts against no walks, earning his third win of the season.

The Drive tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. Wren tripled to open the frame and Casas drove him in with a sac fly to center for a 4-0 lead.

Hunter Haworth closed it out to earn his first save of the year, working a scoreless eighth and ninth innings with strikeouts to preserve the shutout.

Offensively, Casas led the way going 2-for-3 with a double, a sac fly and two RBI. Wren added a 2-for-4 performance with a triple, a run and an RBI, while Brandon Howlett recorded a double.

The Drive now travel to Columbia to begin a four-game series with the Fireflies beginning on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.

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