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SAL Greenville Drive

Gonzalez's Walk-off Swinging Bunt Gives Drive 6-5 Victory in 10th

August 2, 2023 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


For the second time this year Bryan Gonzalez played the hero with a walk-off hit, this time a swinging bunt that crept down the third base line in the bottom of the tenth allowing Roman Anthony to score from third, giving the Greenville Drive (15-17, 51-47) a 6-5 victory in the 10th over the Rome Braves (14-18, 44-54).

It was an up and down game Wednesday night at Fluor Field as the Drive relinquished a 4-1 lead over the final four frames, as bullpen pitching could not back up a stellar start from Luis Perales. Perales would eventually post his best start in a Greenville uniform, allowing four hits, one run, three walks, while striking out 10 over five innings.

After holding the Braves scoreless through three thanks to Perales, an unforced error by the Drive would come back to bite them. Max Ferguson's throw to first baseman Alex Erro on a routine grounder would be dropped by Erro putting Justin Janas aboard. Ethan Workinger would send a screamer to the gap during the ensuing at bat making it 1-0 Braves.

But the Braves' lead would not last long as the Drive capitalized in the bottom of the fourth. With Eddinson Paulino and Ronald Rosario on second and third, Max Ferguson ripped a single into right field bringing Rosario home, but Paulino would be nabbed at home keeping the game knotted at 1-1. But the tie didn't last long either as Alex Erro ripped a double to the gap to score Ferguson from first and give the Drive a 2-1 lead.

Perales sent the Braves down in order in the top of the fifth allowing the Drive to feed off the momentum in the bottom of the fifth as they chipped in two more runs; one via an Allan Castro RBI-double and the other on a Gonzalez RBI-single making it 4-1.

But the Braves would not go quietly. Dan Altavilla made a rehab relief appearance for the Drive in the sixth and seventh innings where he'd give up a two-out RBI-single in the sixth but recover for a solid 1-2-3 seventh inning exiting with a 4-2 lead, allowing one run, one hit, one walk while striking out one.

Reidis Sena made his Drive debut in the eighth inning, allowing two runs on two hits, one walk while striking out two but those runs would knot the game at 4-4. Neither team could finesse a run in the ninth sending the game to extras where Rome struck first.

Ethan Workinger, a seemingly impossible out tonight, notched his fourth RBI of the night with a sac-fly to left to score the ghost runner giving Rome a 5-4 lead as the game moved to the bottom of the tenth. With Nick Decker standing in as the ghost runner, Roman Anthony slapped a triple to right field, sending Decker home and tying the game. With one out, the Braves intentionally walked Rosario putting runners on the corners, but it wouldn't matter as Gonzalez swinging bunt rolled at perfect speed, allowing Anthony to score easily, giving the Drive the 6-5 victory.

The Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox) return to action at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday, August 3 for game three of the six-game series with the Rome Braves. The series is currently split at one game apiece.

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