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SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

Rodriguez Rocks as Drive Steer Past RiverDogs, 10-7

August 31, 2010 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


CHARLESTON, SC -- Reynaldo Rodriguez went 4-for-4 with a double, grand slam and season-high six RBI to lead the Greenville Drive past the Charleston RiverDogs, 10-7, in front of 2,633 fans in South Atlantic League action at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park on Tuesday night.

With the win Greenville stays at the top of the SAL Southern Division standings and improves to 38-25, 74-59 overall. Charleston drops to two games under .500 at 31-33 in the second half and 62-71 overall.

Rodriguez, who was playing with the Yuma Scorpions of the Golden Baseball League in 2009, finishes August with seven home runs and 29 RBI in 25 games, while 15 of his 31 hits in the month went for extra bases.

Charleston got on board early thanks to Luke Murton's RBI single to left field against Greenville starter Yeiper Castillo that allowed J.R. Murphy to move home from third for an early 1-0 lead. After Slade Heathcott and Ramon Flores popped out and grounded out, respectively, to open the frame, Murphy walked to reach base and moved to third on Rob Lyerly's bloop single to center.

Taylor Grote and Kevin Mahoney ripped off back-to-back singles to open the bottom of the second for the RiverDogs, with Grote moving to third on Emerson Landoni's double play groundout. Heathcott smoked a double down the right-field line to plate Grote to give Charleston a 2-0 advantage. Ramon Flores extended his hitting streak to six games when he knocked a single to right field, scoring Heathcott and giving Charleston a 3-0 cushion going into the third frame.

In his first start since June 10, Castillo gave up eight hits and four runs in only 3.0 innings, while walking one and fanning four.

In the top of the third inning, Charleston starter Jose Quintana walked Shannon Wilkerson and Derek Gibson to put two on for Rodriguez at the plate. With two outs, Rodriguez blasted his 20th double of the year deep to centerfield that allowed each runner to come home. Rodriguez looked to reach third but was thrown out at the bag thanks to the combined arms of Heathcott and Mahoney. Charleston still led 3-2 going into the bottom of the third.

With one out, Murton sent a high fly ball deep into center that Greenville center fielder Reymond Fuentes appeared to have lost in the lights. The would-be pop out turned into Murton's second triple of the year. Neil Medchill responded sending a fly ball to shallow center, that Fuentes again appeared to have trouble tracking, as the ball dropped to the grass, allowing Murton to cross home plate, giving Charleston a 4-2 lead.

The RiverDogs' lead held until the top of the fifth inning when they saw their two-run advantage turn into a two-run deficit with Rodriguez's grand slam home run. Rodriguez blasted a 1-0 pitch from Quintana deep over the wall in centerfield for his team-leading 12th home run of the year and a 6-4 Greenville advantage.

Quintana allowed a season-high six runs in 4.2 innings on just four hits, but the Colombian southpaw walked a season-high four batters while punching out a season-high seven batters.

Sean Killeen's RBI single to centerfield in the sixth inning gave the Drive a 7-4 advantage.

The RiverDogs bit into the deficit in the bottom half with Lyerly's two RBI single to centerfield, bringing the RiverDogs within one at 7-6 going into the seventh.

Charleston knotted the game back up at 7-7 when Heathcott notched his second RBI of the night, plating Mahoney from third on an infield single against Greenville reliever Anatanaer Batista (6-5).

The Drive steered back into the lead for good in the eighth, when Kolbrin Vitek came home on wild pitch from Gabriel Tatis (2-3), giving Greenville an 8-7 lead. Vitek doubled to open the frame before moving to third on Fuentes' sacrifice bunt. Jeremy Hazelbaker's RBI single to center pushed the Drive lead to 9-7 going into the bottom of the seventh.

Fuentes' sacrifice fly added some more separation in favor of the Drive, bringing the score to 10-7 Greenville in the top of the ninth.

Jordan Flasher authored 2.0 scoreless innings to record his third save of the season.

Seven different RiverDogs recorded two-hit games to pace their 15-hit attack, while Heathcott and Lyerly had two RBI apiece.

Game two of this four-game series is set for Tuesday at 7:05 p.m., with Charleston sending right-hander Shane Greene (0-1, 2.31) to the hill to face off against Greenville southpaw Manny Rivera (5-9, 4.20).

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