Drive Defeat Grasshoppers 6-3 in Series Finale

Greensboro, NC - The Greenville Drive (14-10) used a five-run fifth inning on Thursday night to defeat the Greensboro Grasshoppers (14-12) 6-3. With the win, the Drive avoided being swept in the three-game series.

Trailing 2-1, the Drive exploded in the top of the fifth against Greensboro starter Max Garner (2-2). Jesus Loya hit a one-out single and came all the way around to score two batters later when Tzu-Wei Lin lined a double to center field. After a walk to Jantzen Witte, Jake Romanski untied the game by smacking a three-run homer to center, his first long ball of the year. Back-to-back doubles by Carlos Asuaje and Manuel Margot pushed the score to 6-2 and chased Garner from the game.

The Grasshoppers scored a run in the ninth on an RBI single by Austin Dean, and they later loaded the bases with two outs, but Myles Smith got Kentrell Dewitt to pop up to end the game. It was Smith's first save of the season.

Mario Alcantara (1-1) picked up the victory for Greenville, hurling five innings and giving up seven hits, two earned runs and three walks while striking out four.

Greensboro scored against Alcantara in the first on Felix Munoz's RBI single to right and again in the second on a solo homer by Avery Romero.

The Drive got on the board in the top of the second when Asuaje cranked his first home run of the year, a solo shot to left field. He went 2-4 on Thursday. Loya joined him in the multi-hit club with a 2-4 night, his first multi-hit game of the season.

Dean, Munoz, Romero and Justin Bohn all collected two hits apiece for Greensboro.

The Drive continue their road trip with a four-game series against the division rival Augusta GreenJackets beginning on Friday. Tomorrow's starter for the Drive is TBA, while the GreenJackets will send LH Carlos Diaz (2-2, 2.61) to the mound.