Gonzales Homers, but Drive Fall 10-4 to Greensboro

Gonzales Homers, but Drive Fall 10-4 to Greensboro

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville Drive carried an early lead into the middle innings Saturday night, but a four-run fourth inning by Greensboro turned the game and sent the Drive to a 10-4 loss to the Grasshoppers at Fluor Field at the West End.

Greenville dropped to 0-3 on the young season, while Greensboro improved to 3-0.

The Drive struck first in the bottom of the first. Red Sox #6 prospect Justin Gonzales opened the inning with a walk and moved to third after Yoeilin Cespedes singled and Gerardo Rodriguez lifted a fly ball to right. Jack Winnay then brought Gonzales home on a fielder’s choice to give Greenville a 1-0 lead.

Red Sox #10 prospect Anthony Eyanson made his debut on Saturday, turning in a solid performance going 3 innings, striking out 6 and giving up a lone home run. The LSU product won a College World Series with the Tigers and picked up right where he left off. Eyanson filled up the zone to the tune of 33 strikes on 51 total pitches.

Greensboro answered in the third when Shalin Polanco launched a leadoff solo homer to left-center off Drive starter Anthony Eyanson, tying the game at 1-1. Greenville responded immediately in the bottom half. Cespedes doubled down the left-field line, and Rodriguez followed with a run-scoring single up the middle to restore the Drive’s lead at 2-1.

Eyanson was sharp through three innings, striking out six while allowing just one run on three hits, but the game shifted quickly after the first pitching change. Fellow College World Series Champion Marcus Phillips entered to begin the fourth and Greensboro capitalized.

After a walk to Tony Blanco Jr. and a double-play ball that briefly slowed the inning, Lonnie White Jr. drew a walk and advanced on a wild pitch before Polanco lined an RBI double down the left-field line to tie the game. Matt King then walked, and Jhonny Severino singled home Polanco to put Greensboro in front. Wyatt Sanford followed with an RBI single to center, and a throwing error on the play by Cespedes allowed the inning to continue. After Phillips was replaced by Calvin Bickerstaff, Sanford stole second and Severino stole home to cap the four-run frame and stretch the Grasshoppers’ lead to 5-2.

That fourth inning proved costly for Greenville, which had opportunities throughout the night but struggled to cash in. The Drive stranded 14 runners and finished 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. They left the bases loaded in the first and fifth innings and failed to score after putting runners aboard in the sixth, seventh and ninth.

Bickerstaff helped keep Greenville within striking distance by delivering 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief. He allowed just two hits, struck out two and retired the side in order in the seventh, giving the Drive a chance to climb back into the game.

Greenville finally cut into the deficit in the eighth. Antonio Anderson worked a leadoff walk, and Gonzales followed by driving a two-run homer to left off Hung-Leng Chang, trimming Greensboro’s lead to 7-4. It was Gonzales’ second home run of the season and accounted for his team-high two RBIs on the night.

Any momentum from that rally was short-lived. Greensboro answered in the ninth against P.J. Labriola. Severino hammered a two-run home run to left-center after King was hit by a pitch, and Sanford later came home on Axiel Plaz’s RBI single to push the margin back to six. Yophery Rodriguez cut down Plaz trying for second to end that sequence, but the damage was done.

Cespedes led Greenville offensively, going 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Gonzales finished 1-for-4 with the two-run homer, while Rodriguez drove in a run and Yuten added two hits. Anderson reached twice and scored on Gonzales’ eighth-inning blast.

For Greensboro, Polanco went 2-for-4 with a double, homer and two RBIs, while Severino finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and scored twice. Blanco also homered and Plaz had two hits and an RBI.

Kyle Larsen earned the win in relief for Greensboro after tossing two scoreless innings. Phillips took the loss for Greenville after allowing four runs, three earned, in two-thirds of an inning.

The Drive unfortunately endured a season-opening sweep Saturday afternoon to Greensboro. The Drive will take a trip up the highway to Spartanburg for a 6 game set beginning Tuesday, April 7th.