Drive Power Past Fireflies, 5-3

Columbia, SC - The Greenville Drive used the long ball to their advantage on Saturday night, as three home runs made the difference in a 5-3 victory over the Columbia Fireflies.

With the score tied at two in the fourth inning, Roldani Baldwin untied the game with a solo homer to left off Kevin Canelon (0-1), his first of the year, to give the Drive (6-4) a lead they wouldn't give back.

Two innings later, it was Kyri Washington's turn to go deep, as he led off the frame with a line shot to left field to make the score 4-2. The home run was Washington's second of the year.

Trenton Kemp got in on the action in the ninth, swatting a home run for the second night in a row for the Drive's final run of the game.

The Fireflies (5-5) plated a run in the ninth on the benefit of a Drive error, but Bobby Poyner rebounded by coaxing a double play to end the game and notch his second save.

Kuehl McEachern (1-0) was dynamite in relief for Greenville, firing three perfect innings and punching out four to get the win.

The Drive got on the board in the top of the first with three consecutive hits, and the third hit was a two-run single by Michael Chavis that scored Luis Alejandro Basabe and Chad De La Guerra.

A Joe Tuschak solo homer off Daniel Gonzalez cut the Drive lead to 2-1 in the third, and an RBI single by J.C. Rodriguez tied things up before the Drive home runs allowed them to pull away.

The teams will meet in the series finale in Columbia on Sunday afternoon at 2:05 PM. The Drive will send left-hander Matt Kent (0-0, 1.50) to the mound as they go for the victory in the four-game set, and the Fireflies will start right-hander Tyler Badamo (1-0, 1.50).