Drive Defeated by RiverDogs, 8-7

Greenville, SC - After falling behind early, the Greenville Drive (7-6) made a valiant comeback attempt, but ultimately fell just short in a 8-7 loss to the Charleston RiverDogs (6-7) on Wednesday night. With the win, the RiverDogs completed the sweep of the three-game series.

With the game tied at seven in the top of the ninth, the RiverDogs took the lead for good against new Drive reliever Taylor Grover (0-1). Miguel Andujar drew a two-out walk, and Mike Ford followed with a single off Grover's foot to keep the inning alive. Brandon Thomas followed with a sharp single to left field to bring home Andujar.

The Drive made hard contact in the ninth against Philip Walby, but a pair of line drives found gloves and allowed Walby to pick up his first save of the year. Andury Acevedo (1-0) got the victory for Charleston.

Trailing 7-3 in the sixth, the Drive got some big hits to pull within one run. With the bases loaded and one out, Jimmy Rider singled up the middle to score two, and Bo Greenwell followed with a single through the right side. 

Rider collected another big hit in the bottom of the eighth, as he lined a game-tying RBI single off the Green Monster in left that scored Manuel Margot, who led off the frame with a single.

Charleston jumped out to an early start against Drive starter Pat Light. Abiatal Avelino began the game with a triple into the right field corner, and Tyler Wade followed with a sacrifice fly to left. Later in the inning, a walk, an error and a single by John Murphy tacked on a second run.

The RiverDogs extended that lead to 5-0 in the fourth, as Gosuke Katoh smacked an RBI triple to right-center, Eduardo de Oleo crushed a two-run homer to left, and Wade hit an RBI single.

Kevin Mager continued his power surge in the bottom half of the fourth, sending a Giovanny Gallegos offering over the wall in left field for a solo homer, his fourth of the season and third of the homestand.

Jantzen Witte just missed a homer of his own in the fifth, with his deep fly to left hitting high off the Green Monster, but it was good enough for a two-run double to inch the Drive back to within 5-3.

For the second consecutive night, Wade had a big night for the RiverDogs, going 2-4 with three RBI. Avelino and Ford added two hits apiece. Rider had two hits and three RBI for Greenville, with Greenwell and Witte also collecting a pair of hits.

The Drive will hit the road from here, as they begin a three-game series with the Savannah Sand Gnats on Thursday night at 7:05. RH Teddy Stankiewicz (1-1, 5.00) will start the series opener for the Drive, and the Sand Gnats will send RH Robert Gsellman (1-1, 1.46) to the hill.