Drive Defeat GreenJackets 8-5 to Win Series

Greenville, SC - The Greenville Drive (6-19, 40-54) capped off an impressive weekend of baseball on Sunday afternoon, as they defeated the Augusta GreenJackets (11-14, 45-48) 8-5 to secure their third straight win and a 3-1 series victory.

The Drive put together a pair of big offensive innings against Augusta starter Christian Jones (4-6), scoring five runs in the third and three more in the fifth. Cole Sturgeon's RBI single to right in the third tied the game at one and scored Kevin Mager, who singled to begin the frame. Wendell Rijo's fielder's choice brought home another run, and Carlos Asuaje followed by doubling home a pair. Two batters later, Manuel Margot singled to left for the fifth run.

Asuaje and Margot were prominently involved in the big fifth inning as well. After Rijo doubled high off the Green Monster to begin the inning, Asuaje doubled him home, and Margot's single plated Asuaje. Franklin Guzman delivered a sacrifice fly later in the inning for the Drive's final run.

Daniel McGrath (4-4) was very appreciative of the run support, taking the victory after striking out a season-high eight batters in five and two-third innings while allowing five hits and three runs.

Ryder Jones began the sixth inning with a solo homer to right against McGrath to trim the Drive's lead to 8-3, and they continued to inch back, eventually loading the bases with two outs and knocking McGrath from the game. German Taveras entered on the mound to make his Drive debut, and he got Rando Moreno to ground out to second to end the threat.

Augusta threatened again in the ninth, cutting the score to 8-5 after an RBI single with nobody out. With two men on and one out, Raynel Velette came up big by getting pinch-hitter Tyler Horan, the tying run, to ground into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.

Eight of the nine Greenville starters collected hits on the afternoon, with Asuaje leading the charge with a pair of doubles and three RBI. Margot had two hits and two RBI, and Aneudis Peralta chipped in with two hits as well. Ryder Jones and Ty Ross each collected two hits and two RBI for Augusta, and Cristian Paulino added two hits.

After an off day on Monday, the Drive will head south and begin a three-game road series against the Rome Braves on Tuesday night at 7:00. RH Jason Garcia (0-1, 19.29) gets the starting call for the Drive, and Rome's starter is TBA.