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SAL Greenville Drive

Mayer's Big Night Helps Drive Dispatch Tourists, 10-6

May 4, 2023 - South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


Marcelo Mayer was nearly perfect at the plate tonight, going 4-of-5 with a two-run homer, and two doubles good for 3 RBIs, plating what would ultimately be crucial runs for the Greenville Drive (9-12) as they dispatched the Asheville Tourists (8-13), 10-6.

Drive batters would stay hot at the plate for the second straight night, with eight of their 13 total hits going for extra bases including five doubles and three home runs. It would be Mayer's home run in the seventh which cemented the victory for the Drive as he put the Drive up 9-3. Those runs would prove to be the insurance the Drive needed as three-run homer by the Tourists later in the game would cut the game to 9-6.

The Drive were hot from the start as Max Ferguson led off the game with a double, stole third and came around to score on a Chase Meidroth ground out to make it 1-0. Asheville would respond in their half of the first as Drew Gilbert added his own homer run to knot the game before a Zach Dezenzo walk and a Jacob Melton double made it 2-1 Tourists heading to the second.

Eddinson Paulino led off the second inning with a screaming double thanks to a constant 15 mph wind in Asheville. The wind would further help the Drive as a Miguel Ugueto pop up to first danced in the wind and evaded the first baseman Miguel Palma for a hit. Ugueto and Paulino executed a double steal during the Bryan Gonzalez at-bat, but it wouldn;t matter as Gonzalez launched a home run to right field to make it 4-2 Drive. Tyler Miller would double down on Gonzalez's efforts, smashing a 400-foot homer to right on the ensuing at-bat to make it 5-2.

Drive starter Angel Bastardo would settle into the game following the first inning, tossing a scoreless second and third inning. He'd walk Tourists' batter Jacob Melton to lead off the fourth inning and Melton would take it upon himself to try and get Asheville back into the game. He stole second, then third and scored on a throwing error by Drive catcher Nathan Hickey, to make it 5-3. Bastardo would leave the game after the fourth, allowing just three runs on three hits while walking three and striking out five.

Meidroth led off the fifth with a single and Mayer would add his second double of the night as he sent one off the centerfield wall to score Meidroth to make it 6-3. Mayer would get to third on a groundout by Hickey and be plated by a Blaze Jordan sacrifice fly to make it 7-3.

Joe Jones came on in relief of Bastardo in the fifth, cruising through the fifth and six innings, allowing a lone hit while striking out three of the seven batters he faced. He'd ultimately record the win for the Drive.

In the seventh, Meidroth again set up Mayer for a chance to do some damage as he singled to lead off the inning. Mayer would take a 2-0 pitch deep to center for second home run of the year, putting the Drive up 9-3. Asheville would do the best they could to close the gap in their half of the seventh as Gilbert's home run off Drive newcomer Nathan Landry with two men on, made it 9-6. Landry was called up from Salem on May 2, prior to last night's game.The Drive would pick up one more run in the top of the eighth as Ugueto scored on a throwing error by Collin Price who tried to nab Miller as he stole second, to make it 10-6.

Alex Hoppe relieved Landry, in the eighth but he'd struggle early, giving up a walk and hitting a batter, then walking the ensuing batter to put the go-ahead run at the plate with no-outs. He'd strikeout the next two batters on six straight pitches and nab the final out on a ground ball to Meidroth who got the force out at second, preserving the Drive lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Drive turned to relieve Joey Stock, who fanned three of the four batters he faced, finishing off the 10-6 Drive victory.

The Drive (Boston Red Sox) and Asheville Tourists (Houston Astros) take the field for game three of the six game series at McCormick Field tomorrow, May 4 with first pitch slated for 6:35 p.m. A win tomorrow for the Drive earns at least a split of the series with Asheville.

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics



South Atlantic League Stories from May 4, 2023


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