ROME, Ga. - The Greenville Drive (4-5) used a five-run fourth inning en route to a 6-5 victory over the Rome Braves (3-6) on Saturday at State Mutual Stadium, ending a three-game skid.With the game knotted at 1-1, the Drive offense came alive to plate five runs in the fourth
ROME, Ga. - The Greenville Drive (4-5) used a five-run fourth inning en route to a 6-5 victory over the Rome Braves (3-6) on Saturday at State Mutual Stadium, ending a three-game skid.
With the game knotted at 1-1, the Drive offense came alive to plate five runs in the fourth inning, matching Rome's fourth inning from Friday. Tyler Esplin led off with a walk and two batters later Jordan Wren singled to center to put runners at the corners with one out. Triston Casas followed with a double to right to bring home Esplin and put Greenville back in front, 2-1.
Kole Cottam drew a walk to load bases, before a force out made it bases loaded with two outs. Juan Carlos Abreu doubled to right, scoring two, and Grant Williams drove in two more with a single, to make it a 6-1 Drive lead.
Rome cut in to the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Three straight one-out singles from Logan Brown, Trey Harris and Jose Bermudez brought home one run and put runners at the corners. A Darlington Florentino sac fly plated Harris to make it a 6-3 game.
The Braves inched closer with two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Greg Cullen reached on a hit-by-pitch ahead of Griffin Benson, who hit his third home run of the season to make it a one-run game at 6-5.
Rio Gomez closed out the Drive win, though, inducing a groundout and two flyouts around a two-out walk in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
Oddanier Mosqueda (1-0) earned his first win of the season, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings of two-hit baseball with four strikeouts and no walks. Trey Riley (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing five runs on three hits and three walks in 3.2 innings pitched.
The Drive got on the board first with a lone run in the third. Korby Batesole opened the frame with a lead-off double. Abreu moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt and Batesole then scored a batter later on a dropped third strike, as Rome catcher Logan Brown threw out Williams at first.
Rome answered with a run in the bottom half of the third. Carlos Paraguate reached on a one-out single to right and Justin Dean drove him in with a double to center.
Batesole, Wren and Devlin Granberg paced the Drive with two hits apiece on the night.
The Drive will look to even the series on Sunday with first pitch set for a 2:05 PM. Brayan Bello (1-0, 1.80 ERA) takes the mound for Greenville and faces off against Odalvi Javier (0-0, 4.50 ERA).
