Hot Rods stifle Drive 7-3, dampen Opening Day at Fluor Field

The reigning South Atlantic League Champions returned to action at Fluor Field for the first time in 2024, but a return to the friendly grounds was dampened for the Greenville Drive (1-3) as they fell 7-3 to the Bowling Green Hot Rods (2-2).

While the Drive celebrated the 2023 SAL Championship one last time in front of a solid home opening crowd, much of the fanfare in-game belonged to Hot Rods’ starter Duncan Davitt who turned in a dominating performance as he held the Drive hitless through 5.2 innings with six strikeouts before being relieved.

On the flipside Drive starter Dalton Rogers picked up where he left off in 2023 for all of 3.2 innings, tossing six strikeouts with ease. But he’d couple that with five walks, ultimately walking in a run in the top of the fourth to give Bowling Green the early 1-0 lead, before Manager Iggy Suarez made a call to the bullpen. The problems for Greenville however would grow from there as reliever Nathan Landry walked the ensuing batter with the bases loaded bringing in the second run of the game. The duo of Rogers and Landry would combine for five walks in the fourth inning.

But Landry’s night would only get worse as a single from Xavier Isaac, a double from Cooper Kinney, and a double from Kamren James off the Green Monster would add five more runs for the Hot Rods putting the Drive in a 7-0 hole when the inning mercifully ended.

The switch on the mound for Bowling Green to righty Sandy Gaston seemed to be just what the Drive needed to break through the no-hit bid as Allan Castro slapped a hard hit double to the right field wall scoring Cutter Coffey from second before Ronald Rosario added a bouncing single through the in-field making 7-2 Bowling Green. Coffey’s run was officially charged to Davitt giving him the odd combination of having not allowed a hit but having allowed a run.

The Drive would pick up four more hits along the way including a deep fly from Kristian Campbell, marking the first home run of 2024 at Fluor Field. Coincidentally, Campbell was the last player to hit a home run in 2023 at Fluor Field when he launched a three-run home run in Game Two of the SAL Championship Series.

Conor Steinbaugh and Caleb Bolden would finish the night on the mound for the Drive allowing a hit a piece while each picked up a pair of strikeouts.

The Drive return to action Wednesday, April 10 at Fluor Field at 7:05 p.m. for game two of the six-game series with Bowling Green. The Hot Rods lead the series, 1-0.