Spartanburgers Finish as Runners-Up in Inaugural Season
SAL Hub City Spartanburgers

Spartanburgers Finish as Runners-Up in Inaugural Season

Published on September 17, 2025 under South Atlantic League (SAL)
Hub City Spartanburgers News Release


SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Spartanburgers inaugural season finished on Tuesday with a 2-1 loss to the Brooklyn Cyclones. The Cyclones claimed their first South Atlantic League title with the win. Hub City finished its season the same way it started, in front of a raucous crowd at Fifth Third Park.

Starters Dylan MacLean (L, 4-2) and Franklin Gomez each came out of the gates with two scoreless innings. Brooklyn's John Bay stroked a triple the other way to begin the third inning. With one out, Marco Vargas singled in the first run of the game. An error helped Vargas move up to third with two outs, and Matt Rudick cashed in a hit for a second Cyclones run.

The Spartanburgers tagged Gomez for two hits in the third but could not score against the Brooklyn starter. The lefty pitched four scoreless innings. Hub City threatened in the fifth when three walks loaded the bases, but Gregori Louis escaped the jam. Dakota Hawkins (W, 3-2) stifled the Spartanburgers at the plate in the sixth and the seventh.

Victor Simeon and Jesus Gamez carried the torch out of the Hub City bullpen, piecing together four scoreless innings combined to follow up MacLean.

In the eighth, the 'Burgers launched a comeback effort. Dylan Dreiling poked a two-out infield single. After a pitching change, Casey Cook lined a single to center. Rafe Perich came up for his second at-bat of the night after replacing Arturo Disla at first base; Perich smoked a grounder into right field to score Dreiling. Cook advanced from first to third, and Perich sped to second on an errant throw. Brooklyn intentionally walked Gleider Figuereo, then pinch-hitter Antonis Macias ripped a one-hopper to short, which the Cyclones turned into the final out.

After a one-two-three top of the ninth from Case Matter, Brooklyn's Hoss Brewer (S, 4) never allowed the tying run to reach in the bottom of the ninth, securing the championship for the Cyclones.

Hub City begins the 2026 season against the Frederick Keys, the new High-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, on Friday, April 3. The two freshest franchises in the South Atlantic League will play a three-game set at Fifth Third Park, then the Spartanburgers welcome the Greenville Drive to renew the I-85 Rivalry from April 7-12.

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South Atlantic League Stories from September 17, 2025


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