Drive Stun Dash in 10 Innings, 7-5
Published on September 5, 2025 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release
Winston-Salem, N.C. - The Greenville Drive (65-64) kept their postseason hopes alive in dramatic fashion Friday night, rallying from a late three-run deficit before outlasting the Winston-Salem Dash (54-73) 7-5 in 10 innings at Truist Stadium. The victory pulls Greenville within a half-game of South Division foe, the Hub City Spartanburgers with only three games left on the Drive's regular season slate.
Because of Thursday's rainout, Greenville will play a Saturday doubleheader of two seven-inning contests, followed by a nine-inning regular season finale on Sunday. Meanwhile, Spartanburg has just two games remaining, setting up a tense weekend that will determine whose season continues and whose ends on Sunday evening.
Dash strike first
Winston-Salem jumped ahead early against Drive starter Juan Valera. Samuel Zavala opened the bottom of the first with a single and later scored on Caleb Bonemer's two-out double to make it 1-0. An inning later, Ryan Burrowes doubled and came home on Lyle Miller-Green's RBI single to push the lead to 2-0.
Valera lasted just 2.2 innings, striking out six but allowing two runs on four hits before handing the ball to Blake Aita.
Greenville's offense stalls, Dash build lead
Greenville stranded five runners across the first two innings before finally breaking through in the fourth. Mason White singled, and the Drive loaded the bases on a Yophery Rodriguez hit and Freili Encarnacion hit-by-pitch. Henry Godbout drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home a run and cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Dash answered quickly. In the bottom of the fourth, Burrowes launched a solo home run to left off Aita to restore the two-run cushion. Zavala extended the lead further in the eighth with a solo shot to right, his ninth of the season, making it 4-1 and leaving Greenville's playoff chances hanging by a thread.
Ninth-inning fireworks
Just when it seemed the Drive were down to their last outs, they flipped the game in a furious ninth-inning rally against Dash reliever Phil Fox. After a leadoff walk to Justin Riemer and a single by Godbout, Johanfran Garcia came up clutch with a two-out, two-run double to center, tying the game at 3-3. White followed with a single to plate Garcia and give the Drive a stunning 4-3 lead.
But Winston-Salem refused to fold. Zavala came through again in the bottom half, lofting a sacrifice fly that scored pinch runner T.J. McCants and tied the game at 4-4, forcing extra innings.
Drive seal it in 10th
In the top of the 10th, Greenville put the game away. With Maximus Martin starting at second base, Encarnacion was hit by a pitch and Riemer walked to load the bases. Godbout was plunked as well, forcing in the go-ahead run. Justin Gonzales followed with a sacrifice fly, and Andruw Musett delivered a two-out RBI single to push the lead to 7-4.
Winston-Salem scratched one back in the bottom half on Zavala's sac fly, but Noah Dean closed the door to earn the win in relief. Dean worked the final two innings, striking out three while allowing just one unearned run.
By the numbers
Godbout reached base three times and drove in two runs, including the go-ahead RBI in the 10th.
Garcia went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, keeping Greenville's season alive with his game-tying knock in the ninth.
White added two hits and an RBI, while Musett's pinch-hit single in the 10th provided insurance.
Burrowes homered and doubled for the Dash, while Zavala tallied three RBIs on a homer and sac fly.
What's next
With three games in two days left for the Drive, and just two for Spartanburg, the South Division second-half crown and the final playoff spot come down to the wire. The Drive will face the Dash in a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 5:00 p.m.
All eyes across the division will be on Greenville and Spartanburg this weekend - one team will extend its season into the playoffs, the other will see it end on Sunday.
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