Drive Shut Out GreenJackets, 4-0

Greenville, SC - Pitching was the name of the game for the Greenville Drive (5-19, 39-54) on Saturday night, as they recorded their fifth shutout of the season and won their second straight game in a 4-0 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets (11-13, 45-47).

In his first start of the season following 19 relief appearances, Jacob Dahlstrand (5-5) gave the Drive everything they were looking for, hurling five and a third scoreless frames while giving up six hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The GreenJackets loaded the bases with one out in the sixth to chase Dahlstrand from the game, but Drive ace reliever Jonathan Aro entered and promptly blew away a pair of hitters for strikeouts to extinguish the threat. Aro allowed just one hit over the final three and two-third innings with five punchouts to record his sixth save.

The Drive put together more than enough offense to support the outstanding pitching efforts. Manuel Margot led off the fifth with a solo shot over the Green Monster, his eighth long ball of the year, to put the first run on the board. Later in the frame, Franklin Guzman doubled to left, moved to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.

Two more runs in the seventh gave the Drive some insurance. Tim Roberson reached second base on an error to begin the inning, and Margot's double to right brought him in. Two batters later, Guzman laced another double to make the score 4-0.

Guzman and Margot each collected two hits for Greenville. Ty Ross was the lone Augusta hitter with a two-hit night.

The Drive will send LH Daniel McGrath (3-4, 3.53) to the mound on Sunday afternoon as they go for the series victory. LH Christian Jones (4-5, 2.28) will start for the GreenJackets. First pitch for the contest is at 4:05.