Drive come-from-behind twice to take Sunday finale from Hot Rods, 6-4

For much of the six-game series at Fluor Field this week, the Greenville Drive (3-6) couldn’t find a rhythm at the plate against the Bowling Green Hot Rods (5-4). They were blanked on Friday night, scratched only one across on Wednesday, and were shut down through nearly six innings on Tuesday.

But on Sunday, the Drive found a way to put their most complete game of the season together, downing the Hot Rods, 6-4 — coming from behind twice over the course of nine innings.

Bowling Green opened a 3-0 lead in the first inning, batting around Drive starter Hayden Mullins. Chandler Simpson, Brayden Taylor, Xavier Isaac, and Cooper Kinney ripped off four-straight singles to build the three-run cushion before Mullins settled into the game.

Mullins would go 3.2 innings in his outing, allowing six hits, three walks and three runs while racking up five strikeouts.

The Drive solved Hot Rods starter Duncan Davitt in the third as Miguel Ugueto singled to lead off the inning, Tyler Miller slapped an RBI-double, Cutter Coffey smacked an RBI-single, and Kristian laced an RBI-double to the gap to knot the game at 3-3.

Bowling Green retook the lead in the fifth off a Kinney groundout that scored Simpson to make it 4-3. But again the Drive found another gear in their half of the fifth as Cutter Coffey lead off with a double and Campbell walked to end the night of Hot Rods reliever Sonny Gaston. After an Allan Castro groundout moved both runners into scoring position, Ronald Roserio added his own groundout that scored Coffey to knot the game at 4-4.

Not done, the Drive’s Luis Ravelo doubled on a hard hit grounder down the first base line, scoring Campbell and putting the Drive in front for the first time and for good. Protecting the lead, Drive relievers Nathan Landry and Jonathan Brand allowed just a combined three hits into the ninth while combining for four strikeouts.

Castro would put the game away in the seventh belting a ball high off the center field wall that was good for a sliding triple. But the throw to cut down Castro would be offline allowing him to score to make it 6-4.

Caleb Bolden shutdown the game in the ninth for the Drive, fanning the final two batters to preserve the win.

The Drive return to action on Tuesday, April 16 for game one of a six-game series with the Wilmington Blue Rocks, affiliate of the Washington Nationals. First pitch for Tuesday's game is slated for 6:35 p.m.