CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Greenville Drive (4-7) dropped the series opener to the Charleston Riverdogs (6-6), 6-2, on Monday night at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Ballpark.The Riverdogs built an early lead with three runs in the bottom of the first. A lead-off solo home run by Brandon Lockridge got Charleston
CHARLESTON, S.C. - The Greenville Drive (4-7) dropped the series opener to the Charleston Riverdogs (6-6), 6-2, on Monday night at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Ballpark.
The Riverdogs built an early lead with three runs in the bottom of the first. A lead-off solo home run by Brandon Lockridge got Charleston on the board. They would later add runs on a sac fly by Eric Wagaman and an RBI single by Canaan Smith to go up 3-0.
The Drive answered with lone runs in the third and fourth innings. Korby Batesole led off the third with a double and scored two batters later on a Charleston error. Jordan Wren then led off the fourth with a solo home run, his first of the season, to cut the lead to 3-2.
Charleston was able to pull away, though, adding a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh. Smith recorded a sac fly for his second RBI of the game to make 4-2 after the fifth. Mickey Gasper hit a lead-off home run in the seventh, his first of the season. Later in the inning, Nelson Gomez stole home on a double steal to push across the final run of the game for a 6-2 score.
Drive starter Alex Scherff (0-1) suffered his first loss of the season, allowing three runs, all in the first inning, on six hits and three walks against three strikeouts in 3.0 innings of work. Charleston starter Alexander Vizcaino (1-0) earned his first win of the year, working 5.0 innings and allowing two runs on three hits with nine strikeouts against two walks. The save went to Shawn Semple, his second of the season, as kept the Drive off the base paths in the final four innings.
Batesole, Wren and Tyler Esplin each recorded a hit for the Drive in the loss. Gasper led the Riverdogs at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a walk, a run and three RBI.
Game two of the series is set for a 7:05 PM first pitch on Tuesday. Thad Ward (0-0, 2.70 ERA) will toe the rubber for Greenville, facing Roansy Contreras (2-0, 2.70 ERA) for Charleston.
