Drive Play Long Ball in 6-5 Win over BlueClaws

Greenville, SC - The Greenville Drive weren't content with keeping the ball in the yard on Friday night, as three homers, including a go-ahead shot by Kyri Washington in the bottom of the seventh, gave the Drive a 6-5 win over the Lakewood BlueClaws at Fluor Field.

Washington belted two of the Drive's (1-1, 38-33) three homers on the night. His two-run home run in the bottom of the third off Franklyn Kilome tied the game at three, and he smacked a 433-foot solo shot off Luis Morales (0-3) in the seventh to put the Drive on top 6-5.

After a Josh Ockimey RBI single in the bottom of the first gave the Drive an early lead, the BlueClaws (1-1, 30-41) answered quickly with three runs in the second against Jose Almonte. After a single by Jose Pujols, Deivi Grullon belted a two-run homer to put Lakewood ahead, and a sacrifice fly later in the inning by Zach Coppola tacked on another run.

The BlueClaws retook the lead 5-3 in the fifth on an RBI groundout by Damek Tomscha and an RBI single by Pujols.

That lead lasted until the bottom of the sixth, when Luis Alexander Basabe blasted a game-tying, two-run homer 420 feet to right-center to even the score at five.

Jake Cosart (3-1) got the win with two and one-third scoreless innings of relief. Adam Lau recorded the final five outs and left the bases loaded in the eighth to record his third save.

Washington's two homers and three RBI paced the Greenville offensive attack. 

The teams will continue the series on Saturday night at Fluor Field at 7:05 PM. Right-hander Anderson Espinoza (4-5, 4.06) will take the mound for the Drive, and the BlueClaws starter is right-hander Jose Taveras (2-6, 4.53).