Drive Edge Spartanburgers 4-3, Nearly Completing the Combined No-Hitter

Drive Edge Spartanburgers 4-3, Nearly Completing the Combined No-Hitter

GREENVILLE, SC. — The Greenville Drive flirted with a combined no-hitter Tuesday night at Fluor Field before settling for a gritty 4-3 win over the Hub City Spartanburgers in the opener of a six-game series.

A trio of Drive pitchers carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning, but Hub City’s Danyer Cueva spoiled the bid with a pinch-hit solo home run off reliever Adam Smith. It was the Spartanburgers' first hit of the game and narrowed Greenville’s lead to one before Smith secured the final two outs to earn his second save of the season.

Eduardo Rivera (1-1) was dominant for Greenville (15-19), striking out six over five hitless innings to earn the win. He walked two and threw 64 pitches before handing things off to the bullpen.

The Drive capitalized on early defensive miscues to build a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Yophery Rodriguez, the Red Sox #10 Prospect, delivered an RBI single, and all three early runs were unearned as Hub City (17-17) committed three errors in the frame, including two wild throws and a misplay by starting pitcher Leandro Lopez (2-2).

Greenville added an insurance run in the fifth on Red Sox #3 Prospect Franklin Arias’ two-out RBI single that plated Miguel Bleis after he walked and advanced to second on balk from Lopez to get in scoring position.

Hub City finally broke through in the sixth after a shaky relief outing from Darvin Garcia, who replaced Rivera. The Spartanburgers pushed across two runs without recording a hit—benefiting from a walk, a fielders choice, and a wild pitch.

Cueva’s ninth-inning blast brought the Spartanburgers within a run and marked his first home run of the season, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.

Lopez was charged with the loss despite allowing just two earned runs across five innings, striking out five. Greenville managed six hits on the night, with Rodriguez collecting two of them and Arias driving in the lone earned run.

The Drive and Spartanburgers continue their series Wednesday afternoon at Fluor Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00p.m.