Greenville, SC - The Greenville Drive scored four unanswered runs over the final two innings to defeat the Rome Braves 6-4 in game two of Wednesday's doubleheader at Fluor Field.
Greenville, SC - The Greenville Drive scored four unanswered runs over the final two innings to defeat the Rome Braves 6-4 in game two of Wednesday's doubleheader at Fluor Field.
Trailing 4-2 entering the fifth inning, Frankie Rios lined a two-out single to center field, and he came in after a passed ball and an RBI double to left-center by Marino Campana.
Three more runs in the sixth put the Drive (22-43) ahead. Michael Osinski drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on an errant pickoff throw from Walter Borkovich (3-1). Isaias Lucena plated Osinski two batters later with a fielder's choice, and Everlouis Lozada drove home the go ahead run on a groundout. Lorenzo Cedrola's ground ball was then booted at first base to plate the final run of the inning.
Rome (40-26) took a 3-0 lead in the top of the third against Angel Padron. Three consecutive hits, including an RBI single by Derian Cruz, put the Braves up 1-0, and an RBI single by William Contreras plus a Drive error plated two more runs in the frame.
The Drive countered with two runs in the bottom half. Jordan Wren led off with a single, moved to third on a single by Cedrola and came home when the ball was bobbled in center field. Campana then dropped an RBI single to center field.
Waters drove home a run for Rome with an RBI single in the top of the fourth.
Devon Fisher (3-3) threw two scoreless innings of relief to get the win for the Drive.
The opening game of the day featured a 9-8, extra inning victory for the Braves in a contest that featured six home runs.
Campana's two-run blast in the bottom of the first inning was his 10th of the season, and it put the Drive ahead 2-1.
A four-run second for Rome included back-to-back solo homers by Jefrey Ramos and Austin Bush, as well as RBI doubles by Riley Delgado and Jean Carlos Encarnacion, who went 5-5 in the game.
Victor Acosta's RBI double in the third pulled the Drive to within a run, but Encarnacion's two-run homer in the fourth stretched the Braves lead to 7-3.
The Drive tied the game over the next three innings thanks to solo homers by Samuel Miranda and Osinski, as well as a Braves error and a sacrifice fly by Acosta.
Rome scored twice in extra innings against Hunter Haworth (0-4) on RBI hits from Riley Delgado and Encarnacion, and though the Drive scored a run in the bottom half of the eighth on a groundout by Ryan Fitzgerald, Brandon White (2-2) recorded the final out to earn the win.
Campana drove home four runs in the doubleheader for Greenville.
The series finale is scheduled for a 7:05 PM start on Thursday at Fluor Field. A pair of South Atlantic League All-Stars will face off on the mound, with Drive right-hander Denyi Reyes (5-3, 2.01) taking on Braves left-hander Bruce Zimmermann (7-3, 2.80).
~Greenville Drive~
