Augusta, GA - Timely hitting and the second solid pitching performance of the day helped the Greenville Drive to a 5-2 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets in the nightcap of Tuesday's doubleheader.
Augusta, GA - Timely hitting and the second solid pitching performance of the day helped the Greenville Drive to a 5-2 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets in the nightcap of Tuesday's doubleheader.
The teams traded two-run innings early in game two. The Drive (17-39) struck first in the top of the second, loading the bases with no outs after two singles and an error on a bunt attempt. Charlie Madden followed by lifting a sacrifice fly to center to break the scoreless tie, and Ryan Fitzgerald and Kervin Suarez then pulled off a double steal of home and second.
Augusta (35-21) scored twice in the third to tie the game on an RBI double by Heliot Ramos and a sacrifice fly by John Riley, but the Drive quickly rebounded with two runs in the fourth to take the lead for good against Caleb Baragar (0-1). Suarez's RBI single scored Victor Acosta, who led off with a double, and Madden plated a run with his second sacrifice fly of the night.
Enmanuel De Jesus (2-0) got the win for the Drive by allowing just two runs over six innings in his third start of the season, and he struck out four. Dominic LoBrutto finished the game with a perfect seventh inning to record his first save.
Michael Osinski led the Greenville offense with three hits in the nightcap, and Fitzgerald went 2-2 with the steal of home in his Drive debut.
The opening game of the day featured strong pitching by both starters, but the GreenJackets won 2-0 on a walkoff homer in the bottom of the seventh by Logan Baldwin.
A pair of recently appointed Southern Division All-Stars faced off on the mound, and both lived up to their numbers. Kutter Crawford fired six scoreless innings for the Drive, striking out five while allowing three hits and three walks. He was matched by Augusta southpaw Joey Marciano, who threw six scoreless innings of his own and struck out four.
Orlando Garcia was hit by a pitch with one out in the seventh, and two batters later, Baldwin delivered the walkoff homer off Lukas Young (0-2) to give the GreenJackets the win.
Franklin Van Gurp (1-0) got the win with a scoreless seventh for Augusta.
Tanner Nishioka continued his blazing stretch at the plate with a 3-3 performance in the opener.
The series continues at 7:05 PM on Wednesday night in Augusta. Left-hander Jhonathan Diaz (1-5, 4.28) takes the mound for the Drive against GreenJackets right-hander Jason Bahr (6-2, 2.26).
~Greenville Drive~
