Garcia & Drive Refuse to Fall, Stun Hot Rods with Moon-Shot Walk-off in Extras
SAL Greenville Drive

Garcia & Drive Refuse to Fall, Stun Hot Rods with Moon-Shot Walk-off in Extras

Published on August 29, 2025 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


Greenville, S.C. - Johanfran Garcia delivered one of the biggest swings of the season Friday night at Fluor Field, crushing a three-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th to give the Greenville Drive (62-62) a thrilling 8-5 win over the Bowling Green Hot Rods (63-59). The victory evened the six-game series at two games apiece and kept the Drive within striking distance of first place in the South Division's second-half standings, just two games back with eight left to play.

The dramatic finish capped a rollercoaster night where the Drive saw a four-run lead slip away late before answering in emphatic fashion.

Slow Start, Midgame Explosion

Bowling Green scratched across the game's first run in the top of the third. After Hunter Haas was hit by a pitch and Daniel Vellojin singled, Shea Sprague replaced starter Juan Valera. The Hot Rods plated Haas on a double-play grounder, taking a 1-0 lead.

The Drive offense was quiet through five innings against Hot Rods starter Garrett Gainey before erupting in the sixth. Garcia and Nelly Taylor reached to set up Yophery Rodriguez, who doubled down the right-field line to tie the game. Maximus Martin followed with an RBI single to put Greenville ahead 2-1.

Freili Encarnacion then worked a walk, and with two on and two out, rookie catcher Andruw Musett provided his first professional home run in unforgettable fashion, a towering three-run shot to left that put Greenville up 5-1 and ignited the 5,788 fans at Fluor Field.

Hot Rods Rally Back

The Hot Rods refused to go quietly. In the eighth, Angel Mateo cut the deficit in half with a two-run homer off Danny Kirwin, trimming Greenville's lead to 5-3.

Then, in the ninth, Haas worked a leadoff walk before Vellojin launched a game-tying two-run blast to left, his sixth of the season. Suddenly, the score was 5-5, and the Drive's momentum was gone.

Garcia Seals It

After a scoreless top of the 10th from Adam Smith (7-3), Greenville came to bat with Justin Riemer placed on second as the automatic runner. Franklin Arias walked, putting two aboard. Mason White grounded into a fielder's choice, moving Riemer to third while Arias was erased.

That brought Garcia to the plate with one out and he did. Not. Miss. On a 1-0 pitch from Noah Beal, Garcia turned on a fastball and launched it high over the left-field wall for a no-doubt, three-run walk-off home run. His teammates mobbed him at home plate as Greenville walked away 8-5 winners.

The homer was Garcia's ninth of the season and his biggest yet in a Drive uniform. He finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs, while Musett added three RBIs on his sixth-inning blast. Martin, Rodriguez, and Taylor each chipped in key hits in the rally.

On the Mound

Sprague steadied Greenville's pitching staff after Valera's early exit, tossing four innings of scoreless relief with five strikeouts. Luis Guerrero added a perfect seventh before Kirwin allowed Bowling Green's late homers. Adam Smith earned the win with a clean 10th.

For Bowling Green, Gainey kept Greenville quiet early, but the bullpen faltered. Beal (1-3) was saddled with the loss after serving up Garcia's walk-off.

What's Next

With the win, Greenville (62-62) pulled back to .500 and kept pace in the tight South Division playoff race. They remain just two games out of first with eight games to play, setting up a high-stakes finish to the season.

The Drive and Hot Rods continue their pivotal six-game series Saturday night at Fluor Field, with first pitch set for 6:45 p.m.

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 29, 2025


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