Drive Splits Pitcher's Duels Doubleheader with Emperors
June 28, 2025 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release
ROME, GA. - The Greenville Drive (37-37) split a pair of tightly contested seven-inning games with the Rome Emperors (32-41) in a doubleheader at AdventHealth Stadium on Saturday, dropping the opener 2-0 before bouncing back to take the nightcap 1-0 behind a pair of dominant pitching performances.
GAME 1: Emperors 2, Drive 0
In the opener, Greenville stranded eight runners and couldn't capitalize on early chances, as Rome's Garrett Baumann and William Silva combined on a five-hit shutout.
Rome's Mason Guerra provided all the offense the Emperors would need with a solo homer to lead off the second inning against Drive starter Noah Dean (1-3). Dean settled down to scatter three hits over five innings while striking out seven, but the Drive offense came up empty despite putting multiple runners on in the first and sixth innings.
Rome (32-41) tacked on an insurance run in the sixth when Patrick Clohisy singled and advanced to third on Will Verdung's hit before scoring on a double-play ball.
Baumann (2-4) went 5 2/3 scoreless, striking out five and working around two hit batters. Silva came on in the sixth with two aboard and got the final four outs for his second save.
Greenville's best opportunity came in the first inning when Miguel Bleis and Johanfran Garcia singled and Antonio Anderson was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Yophery Rodriguez's groundout ended the threat, and the Drive never advanced a runner past second the rest of the game.
Clohisy finished 1-for-2 with a walk and his 44th stolen base for Rome, while Guerra's second-inning homer was his first of the season.
GAME 2: Drive 1, Emperors 0
In the nightcap, Greenville rode a near-flawless pitching effort and just enough timely hitting to squeeze out a 1-0 win and salvage a split of the twin bill.
Left-hander Michael Sansone (2-1) turned in one of his sharpest outings of the year, needing just 52 pitches to navigate five innings of one-hit baseball. The Emperors never reached second base against Sansone, whose fastball command and ability to induce weak contact frustrated Rome's bats all evening. Sansone retired the first four batters he faced before Harry Owen's two-out single in the third broke up his bid for perfection. Undeterred, Sansone promptly struck out Lizandro Espinoza to end the frame and faced the minimum the rest of his outing, thanks to a crisp infield and steady glove work from first baseman Freili Encarnacion.
Greenville's lone run came in the top of the second. Encarnacion, who finished 1-for-3, started the inning with a bloop single into shallow center and moved up when Hudson White grounded a single into left. Albert Feliz then delivered what proved to be the decisive blow - an RBI single that snuck through the left side to plate Encarnacion without a throw. Feliz's hit extended his RBI total to nine on the year.
Yophery Rodriguez was the offensive catalyst all game, collecting three of Greenville's six hits. The 20-year-old outfielder singled in the first and third innings and ripped a double to right in the sixth off Rome reliever Royber Salinas. Rodriguez has now hit safely in four of his last five games as he tries to lift his average above the Mendoza Line.
The Drive squandered a chance to add insurance in the sixth when Rodriguez's double put him in scoring position with one out, but Salinas bounced back to strike out Encarnacion and Will Turner to keep it a one-run game.
The Emperors never seriously threatened to tie it up. Rome mustered just one baserunner all night - Owen's single - and saw only two balls leave the infield against Sansone and right-hander Jacob Webb. Webb earned his first save of the season by retiring all six batters he faced on just 22 pitches, recording two strikeouts and inducing three groundouts, including a game-ending tapper back to the mound from Will Verdung.
Maier (3-6) was the tough-luck loser for Rome, surrendering the only run on five hits and a walk over five innings while striking out four. Salinas was equally sharp in relief, punching out four in two scoreless innings to give Rome a chance.
With the split, Greenville remained at .500 and heads into Sunday's finale with a chance to win the six-game set after taking three of the first five games. First pitch for the finale at AdventHealth Stadium is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
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