SAL Greenville Drive

Hot Rods Thump Drive 14-3 in Wednesday Contest

July 26, 2023 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


A night after keeping the Bowling Green Hot Rods' (14-12, 45-42) bats largely at bay, the Greenville Drive (13-13, 49-43) couldn't keep the lumber quiet Wednesday night as Bowling Green poured on 15 hits enroute to a 14-3 victory.

Bowling Green's hit parade began early as they jumped on Drive starter Angel Bastardo in the bottom of the first. A one-out double from Brock Jones was followed up by a Carson Williams single plating the first run of the game. A walk and a wild pitch put runners at second and third, but a quick strikeout had the Drive one out away from further damage. But Dru Baker had other ideas as his single was enough to plate two and give Bowling Green a 3-0 at the close of the inning.

The Drive would get one back in the top of the second as Eduardo Lopez walked with two outs and a Max Ferguson triple off the right centerfield wall cut the lead to 3-1. But the Hot Rods promptly picked the run back up as a Shane Sasaki one-out groundout was enough to get Jalen Battles home to make it 4-1 in the bottom half of the second.

After a quiet third, Bastardo would have a rough fourth. Baker walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch before a Nick Schnell double brought him home to make it 5-1. Schnell would get to third and eventually come home on a wild pitch later in the inning stretching the Hot Rods lead to 6-1. Bastardo would end his night after the fifth, officially going four innings, allowing six runs on six hits while walking two and ringing up six.

The Drive seemed poised for a comeback in the fifth as Alex Erro and Roman Anthony knocked solo homers, their fifth and ninth of the season respectively. But the 6-3 deficit would grow again in the bottom of the fifth as Carson Williams launched a solo homer off reliever Graham Hoffman before two more runs would come across on a single later in the inning making it 9-3.

The Hot Rods continued to get to Hoffman in the sixth as Williams again found his rhythm facing Hoffman. He'd slap an RBI-double to make it 10-3. Hoffman would officially exit allowing four runs on four hits, issue three walks and strike out one.

Felix Cepeda continued to keep his ERA at zero in his third appearance for the Drive as he issued a walk and struck out one in the seventh inning. He'd turn the game over to Aaron Perry in the eighth who would face a continued onslaught from Bowling Green as he could muster just one out while allowing four runs on four hits and one walk, boosting the lead to 14-3. Maceo Campbel would pick up the final two outs in the eighth, which included a strikeout.

The Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox) return to action at 7:35 p.m. tomorrow for game three of the six-game series with Bowling Green Hot Rods (Houston Astros). The Drive and Hot Rods are currently tied in the series with a one win apiece.

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from July 26, 2023


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