SAL Greenville Drive

Northcutt Makes Greenville Drive History

Published on June 10, 2022 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Greenville Drive News Release


Greenville, SC - About half a mile from Mayberry Park where the Greenville Black Spinners played from the 1930s to the 60s, the Greenville Drive paid homage to the history of Black baseball in the Upstate at Fluor Field. The legacy of the team and all it stood for motivated the Drive in their 16 to 4 win over the Asheville Tourists on Friday night.

Nicholas Northcutt was a player especially inspired by the history. Northcutt set a single game record for the most RBIs scored by a player in a Drive jersey and joined ranks as one of two players to hit three home runs in one game for the Drive. The other being done on August 5th, 2021 by Christian Koss.

The Tourists struck first in the top of the first inning when a two out single off the bat of Nerio Rodriguez found right field and scored Quincy Hamilton.

Greenville was quick to give the packed stands something to cheer for when they stepped up to the plate. In their frame of the first, Nicholas Northcutt hit his 17th home run and second grand slam of the season to give them the lead at 4-1.

The Drive's bats stayed scorching in the second inning. Gilberto Jimenez touched home plate thanks to an Alex Binelas double hit sharply to right field, and Northcutt continued to prove that it didn't matter who he was facing when he tagged Asheville's Hunter Peck with three runs off one swing, his second no-doubter of the night, following the pitching change. The Drive led by seven runs when the second came to a close.

Asheville tried to climb back in the game when Rodriguez and Cristian Gonzalez hit solo home runs in the top of the fourth, but the Drive escaped without any more damage done.

Greenville didn't take their foot of the gas in the fourth inning. Jimenez notched his third hit of the night and brought Tyler McDonough home with another double for the Drive's lineup. Binelas put the ball in play and scored Jimenez for his second RBI of the night. Joe Davis brought the stadium into a standing ovation when he sent one 429-feet to add three more runs to the Drive's barrage.

The Tourists' hit one more homer in their frame of the sixth off the bat of Chad Stevens to bring the score to 13-4.

Northcutt made Greenville Drive history with his next at bat in the bottom of the sixth. The DH hit his third home run and brought his RBI count to eight on the night- a single game record.

Stephen Scott touched the plate for the first time when McDonough made contact and brought him home, making the score 15-4 in the Drive's favor in the bottom of the seventh.

Asheville's Alfredi Jimenez threw a wild pitch that Brandon Howlett took advantage of to add to the flood of Drive runs in the bottom frame of the eighth inning.

The Drive's offense exploded on Friday night and tied the series 2-2. The team will look to take the series lead tomorrow at 7:05.

Check out the Greenville Drive Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



South Atlantic League Stories from June 10, 2022


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central