SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

Drive Stall R'Dogs With Pair of Late Rallies, Win 9-8

Published on April 23, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Greenville Drive rallied from five runs down in the eighth, and a run down in the ninth, to defeat the Charleston RiverDogs, 9-8, in South Atlantic League action Saturday night in front of a crowd of 4,782 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

The Drive improved to 9-8 with the win and salvaged two out of five in the series, while Charleston fell to 9-8 and out of a tie for first place and into a tie for second in the Southern Division with Greenville.

Trailing 8-7 after the RiverDogs retook the lead in the bottom of the eighth, the Drive scored a pair of unearned runs off reliever Nathan Forer (1-1) to account for the final outcome.

With Bryce Brentz aboard at first and one out, Miles Head hit a grounder to third that skipped past the backhand of third baseman Kelvin Castro and all the way into the left field corner. Brentz raced home to tie the score, 8-8, and Head moved into scoring position at second. Felix Sanchez pinch-ran for Head and scored the winning run on a two-out RBI single to centerfield by Brandon Jacobs.

The wild top of the ninth made a winner of Tyler Lockwood (2-0), who scattered five hits and a run while logging three innings. Lockwood allowed a pair of infield singles in the ninth as the RiverDogs threatened to pull out another dramatic win, but Castro lined out to Brentz in right, who made a sliding grab for the last out.

Greenville turned the laugher into a thriller with a five-run outburst to erase a 7-2 deficit off Charleston reliever Richard Martinez in the eighth. All five runs were scored with two outs.

Jacobs brought home the first run of the inning with an infield single deep to the hole on the left side. Lucas LeBlanc stroked an opposite field single to right to plate two more and a fielding error brought home another to suddenly bring the Drive within a single run. LeBlanc advanced all the way to third on the error and trotted in to cross the plate with the tying run when Martinez's wild pitch evaded catcher Gary Sanchez.

Unfazed, the Charleston offense responded to take the lead right back against Lockwood in the eighth. Castro laced a single through the hole on the left side to start the frame, stole a base and came down the line to score when J.R. Murphy hammered a line drive single to left for an 8-7 lead. That was the capper on a three-hit night for the designated hitter, padding his club-leading RBI total to 14.

Greenville got to Charleston starter Nik Turley to nab a first inning lead for the second night in a row. Jose Garcia grounded a double just inside the third base bag leading off, Christian Vazquez was hit by a pitch, and both came home to score when Drew Hedman dunked a two-out, two-run single into left for a 2-0 Drive lead.

Slade Heathcott wasted no time in scoring a run for the eighth consecutive game to slice the RiverDogs' deficit in half in the bottom of the frame off of Drive starter Kyle Stroup. The Yankees' 2009 first-round selection chopped a groundball single into centerfield and eventually made his way to the plate courtesy of a Sanchez sacrifice fly.

Charleston flexed its muscles to crack two home runs in a season-best five-run fourth inning.

Kelvin De Leon propelled the RiverDogs to a 3-2 advantage in the fourth with his third home run of the year. Eduardo Sosa legged out a single to the left side of the infield and was able to cruise around the bases when De Leon parked a 3-1 fastball well beyond the fence in right.

Jose Toussen and Heathcott slapped opposite field one-out singles to extend the rally. Stroup struck out Castro for the second out and had a chance to limit the damage, working a 3-2 count to Ramon Flores.

Flores had other ideas, though, turning on an inside fastball to rope a line-drive three run shot over the right field wall for a comfortable 6-2 RiverDogs advantage.

Stroup was rocked for 12 hits and six runs in a loss against Turley and Charleston on April 13, and the 6-6 right-hander didn't find any more success in the Holy City. Stroup exited after the two long balls, allowing six more runs on eight hits and two walks, striking out four.

A patient approach pushed across an insurance run in the sixth as the RiverDogs took a 7-2 lead. Heathcott and Flores worked walks off Greenville reliever Juan Rodriguez, and Sanchez roped a sharp grounder through the originator for his second RBI of the night, plating Heathcott for the third time.

Turley was in cruise control after surrendering a run and two hits in the first. The 6-6 southpaw yielded just one base hit, a walk, and a hit batsman over his subsequent five innings to compile a final line complete with a season-high seven strikeouts.

The RiverDogs embark on a nine-game road trip beginning Monday versus the Lakewood BlueClaws. Right-hander Mikey O'Brien (0-1, 2.16 ERA) is expected to get the call for Charleston, while left-hander Mario Hollands (2-1, 1.10 ERA) will get the ball for the Phillies affiliate.

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 23, 2011


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