Drive lose close contest, 4-3 to Hickory

Hickory breaks 2-2 tie in the eighth to down Drive

The Hickory Crawdads (34-18, 61-52) scored on a passed ball and an RBI-single in the bottom of the eighth to break a 2-2 deadlock and ultimately defeat the Greenville Drive (22-31, 58-61) 4-3 on Saturday night.

Greenville churned out just five hits on the night with all three runs coming on homers, including a Max Ferguson two-run shot over the right center field wall in the fifth and an Eddison Paulino solo homer to lead off the top of the ninth.

Ferguson’s homer gave the Drive a 2-0 lead that they’d carry only until the sixth as the Crawdads answered with two runs thanks to a solo homer from Wyatt Langford and an RBI-single from Geisel Cepeda to knot the game.

The Max Ferguson blast was just the Drive’s third hit of the ball game as Hickory starter Emiliano Teodo kept the Drive bats quiet for most of the game. The Crawdads’ two runs came off reliever Nathan Landry, who recently returned to active status after an injury sidelined him for nearly a month. Drive starter Luis Perales pitched a solid five innings, allowing just two hits and three walks while ringing up five.

Landry exited after the sixth allowing three hits and the two runs. He gave way to Reidis Sena who’d finish out the night for the Drive. He’d give up the final two runs to the Crawdads, an Abimelec Ortiz RBI-single to first and a passed ball that scored Wyatt Langford to give the Crawdads the 4-2 lead.

Paulino’s homer drew the game within a run for the Drive in the top of the ninth and Kyle Teel walked to put the go ahead run aboard. But 4-3 would be the closest the Drive got to tying the game as Allan Castro grounded into a double play and Bryan Gonzalez struck out swinging to preserve Hickory’s victory.

The Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox) return to action on Sunday, August 27 at 2:00 p.m. against the Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers) for the finale of the series. The Drive can earn a split of the week’s series a victory tomorrow.