Third Inning Pushes GreenJackets Past Drive
August 28, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. - A four-run third inning proved to be the difference, as Augusta downed Greenville 5-2 on Wednesday night, giving the GreenJackets a 2-1 edge in the four-game series.
Augusta tallied a run in the first on a sacrifice fly, then scored four in the third to take a 5-0 lead. The Drive were kept off the bases until the bottom of the fourth, when Everlouis Lozada broke up the no-hit bid with a leadoff single, but was erased on a double play to thwart the Greenville scoring chance.
The Drive got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Jordan Wren turned in a one-out single, then two batters later, Kervin Suarez launched his second homer of the season to cut the Augusta lead to 5-2. Triston Casas drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the seventh and Lozada reached on an error in the bottom of the ninth, but the two represented the Drive's only scoring chances in the game's final four innings.
Drive starter Alex Scherff (5-12) was tagged with a tough loss, giving up five runs but just one earned in 4.0 innings pitched with one walk and five strikeouts. Yorvin Pantoja did not allow a run in 3.1 innings pitched, while striking out four against one walk, while Robbie Baker gave up one hit and recorded two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of relief.
Wren, Suarez and Lozada turned in the Drive's only three hits, while Wren and Suarez each scored a run.
Augusta starter Trenton Toplikar (5-2) earned the win, allowing two runs on three hits in 7.0 innings with a walk and eight strikeouts. Reliever JJ Santa Cruz did not allow a hit in 2.0 innings and earned the save.
The Drive and GreenJackets conclude their four-game series on Thursday, in Greenville's final home game of the 2019 season. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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South Atlantic League Stories from August 28, 2019
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