Grasshoppers Eliminate Drive From First Half Title Race With 6-1 Win

Grasshoppers Eliminate Drive From First Half Title Race With 6-1 Win

GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Greenville Drive’s push for a first-half South Atlantic League title officially came to an end Wednesday night at Fluor Field, as the Greensboro Grasshoppers rode timely hits and a dominant bullpen to a 6-1 victory, eliminating the Drive from postseason contention.

With Bowling Green clinching the division earlier in the evening, Greenville (33-32) needed a win to keep any slim hopes alive. But the Grasshoppers (44-20), already the class of the South Division, methodically pulled away behind a strong start from Connor Wietgrefe (2-2), who held the Drive to just one run on five hits over 5.2 innings.

Esmerlyn Valdez paced the Greensboro offense, going 2-for-5 with a solo homer in the sixth and two RBIs. Javier Rivas delivered the decisive blow in the eighth with a two-run double off Darvin Garcia, stretching the lead to 6-1 and silencing the home crowd of 5,258.

Greenville’s only run came in the fourth inning when Nelly Taylor doubled and scored on Nazzan Zanetello’s RBI single. But that brief surge was quickly erased by Greensboro, who answered with runs in the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.

Drive starter John Holobetz (3-2) was solid through three innings but ran into trouble in the fourth. Duce Gourson led off with a ground-rule double and scored on Valdez’s RBI single. Later in the frame, Rivas plated another run with a two-out single. Valdez’s 17th home run of the season led off the sixth inning and gave Greensboro a 3-1 cushion.

Jovani Moran relieved Holobetz in the seventh and immediately allowed a leadoff walk to Keiner Delgado. After a fielder’s choice and a double by Konnor Griffin, a wild pitch allowed another run to score. The Grasshoppers capped their night with Rivas’s eighth-inning double, his third RBI of the game.

Despite drawing six walks, the Drive struggled to capitalize, hitting into two double plays and finishing just 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. They left eight men on base, including three in the ninth after loading the bases with two outs.

The Drive's offense was held in check by Greensboro’s trio of arms. Wietgrefe earned the win, while Tyler Samaniego and Michael Walsh combined for 3.1 innings of hitless relief with three strikeouts and no runs allowed.

The loss dropped Greenville to 0-2 on the week against Greensboro, with just one game remaining in the first half. While the Drive had climbed into contention during a recent hot streak, Wednesday’s defeat sealed their fate, ensuring Bowling Green's spot in the postseason as the South Division’s first-half champion.

The Drive and Grasshoppers will the first half Thursday night at Fluor Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.