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SAL1 Greenville Drive

Drive Walk Over Tourists, Advance To League Finals

September 11, 2009 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release


(Asheville, NC) - Asheville held a 2-0 lead going to the bottom of the sixth inning before Greenville tied it up, leading to a dramatic walk-off homerun in the bottom of the ninth. Mitch Dening led off the ninth inning with an opposite field blast off Rex Brothers that cleared the wall in left-center and sent the Drive to the Championship series to take on the Lakewood Blueclaws.

Thomas Field was everywhere for Asheville, making several outstanding plays in the field to keep the Tourists in the game, and sparking the first Asheville run. Field tripled to the gap in right-center with one away in the fifth, leading to a Scott Robinson RBI double to give the Tourists a 1-0 lead.

Asheville came back with another run in the sixth after a leadoff single by Kiel Roling. The first baseman then stole second base and came around to score on an error by Greenville shortstop Oscar Tejeda.

Asheville starter Dan Houston pitched 6.2 great innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits. Houston struck out six and did not walk a batter. The Drive finally got to him in the bottom of the sixth, with Tejeda leading off with a single. Zach Gentile doubled him home to cut the Asheville lead to one before Ryan Lavarnway delivered an RBI single, plating Gentile and tying the game at 2-2.

Houston came on the work the seventh inning and immediately allowed a double off the left field wall. The right hander then buckled down and struck out back-to-back hitters before turning it over to Michael Marbry. Marbry stranded the runner on second, striking out Tejeda to end the Greenville threat.

The score remained locked at 2-2 through the top of the ninth. Rex Brothers came on in the eighth inning, allowing a walk but retiring the side without incident. He faced Dening to lead off the ninth and allowed the game-winning walkoff blast.

The Drive will continue on the South Atlantic League Championship series to take on the Lakewood Blueclaws in a best-of-five series beginning Monday.

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from September 11, 2009


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