Drive Fall to Spartanburgers, 6-2, on Saturday Night

The Greenville Drive failed to come back in a 6-2 loss to the Hub City Spartanburgers, dropping to 3-2 in the series. Hub City improves to 44-51, while the Drive falls to 38-54. In the second-half standings, Greenville is now 12-17, and the Spartanburgers are 10-19.

A three-up, three-down first inning for starter Dylan Brown brought the Drive’s offense up quickly in the first. Enddy Azocar wasted no time with a lead-off triple, putting a runner 90 ft away to score on an RBI single by Yoeilin Cespedes, making it 1-0.

Hub City tied it and took the lead from the Drive in the second on a fielding error and a Chandler Pollard RBI double, 2-1. Ronny Hernandez answered back with his 11th homer of the season, leading off the bottom of the frame with a solo shot, 2-2.

It was a pitcher's duel through four innings after the second. Brown pitched six innings, giving up two runs on four hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Three Spartanburger pitchers contributed to that, but starter Izack Tiger and reliever Brock Porter handled the majority of the work, combining for 6.4 innings, five hits, two runs, six walks, and six strikeouts. Tiger was responsible for the two runs.

Shea Sprague took the ball away from Brown in the seventh. However, he was immediately greeted with a lead-off homer by Quincy Scott to break the tie, 3-2. A single for Marcos Torres extended Hub City’s advantage to two runs, driving in Esteban Mejia, 4-2.

Trennor O'Donnell made his Drive debut in the ninth to take over for Sprague. Nevertheless, Hub City gained two insurance runs, taking advantage of a throwing error by the Drive. That was Greenville’s second error of the game, counting for two unearned runs.

The Drive, unable to come back, suffered a 6-2 loss, dropping to 3-2 in the series.

Spartanburgers finished with 10 hits tonight. Mejia had a 3-for-4 night with two doubles and three runs scored. Scott, Torres, and Pollard are responsible for the three RBIs in the lineup. Porter earned the win, tossing 3.2 innings with two hits, no runs, four walks, and three strikeouts. Owen Proksch earned his second save of the season.

The Drive got six hits tonight, going 1-for-8 in scoring opportunities and 10 left on base. Antonio Anderson was the only batter with a multi-hit game, with a 2-for-3 night. Sprague took the loss in game five, his third of the season. His final line consisted of two innings pitched, five hits, two runs, a homer, and two punchouts.

The Greenville Drive looks to end this nine-game homestand in Sunday’s series finale against the Hub City Spartanburgers with first pitch at 3:05 PM. It’s Princess and Trading Card Day at Fluor Field. After the game, Kids Run the Bases, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield SC