Drive and Legends Split Saturday's Doubleheader

Greenville, SC - Thanks to a pair of home runs from Trenton Kemp and strong pitching, the Greenville Drive defeated the Lexington Legends 7-0 to salvage a split of Saturday's doubleheader at Fluor Field. The Legends won game one by a 4-2 score and have a 2-1 lead in the series thus far.

The Drive (20-21) struck for three runs in the second inning of game two against Daniel Concepcion (0-2). Singles by Jayce Ray and Chad De La Guerra began the frame, and a Lexington error plated the first run. Kemp followed by smacking a long solo homer over the Green Monster to make the score 3-0.

Those runs were more than enough for the Drive pitching staff. Adam Lau made a spot start in the nightcap and struck out six over four innings. Austin Glorius (2-1) followed with two scoreless innings of his own the get the win, and Kuehl McEachern preserved the shutout in the seventh.

With the bases loaded in the fourth, Tate Matheny delivered a two-run single into center field to score Kemp, who walked, and Luis Alejandro Basabe, who singled. 

In the very next inning, a Legends (18-24) error extended the frame, and Kemp made them pay with a 407-foot home run to straightaway center, his second of the night and fifth of the season.

In the opening game of the day, the Legends scored three times in the fifth against Drive starter Marc Brakeman (1-3) to take the lead for good. Three consecutive singles began the inning, and RBI groundouts by Amalani Fukofuka and Ben Johnson broke a 1-1 tie. Xavier Fernandez followed with the fourth hit of the inning to make the score 4-1.

The Drive scored both of their runs in game one via solo homers, as Austin Rei popped a home run over the Green Monster in the fourth, and Matheny went the other way with a home run to right-center in the sixth. It was the second homer of the season for both players.

Emilio Ogando improved to 4-2 for Lexington by allowing just two runs over six innings with four strikeouts. Matt Ditman earned his first save with a scoreless seventh.

Luis Alejandro Basabe had five hits in the doubleheader for Greenville.

The teams wrap up the four-game series with a 4:05 PM game on Sunday afternoon at Fluor Field. The Drive will send right-hander Jose Almonte (0-1, 3.60) to the mound, and the Legends will counter with right-hander Scott Blewett (2-4, 5.35).