Drive outlast Hickory; take game one 3-2

A quartet of pitchers carried the day for the Greenville Drive (1-0) as they outlasted the Hickory Crawdads (0-1) 3-2 to take the opening game of the best-of-three SAL South Divisional Series, putting them a win away from reaching the SAL Championship Series.

The four-man group on the bump of Zach Penrod, Casey Cobb, Frank German, and Felix Cepeda dulled Hickory bats from the start, ultimately allowing just three hits on the night. In a season marked by high-scoring games, game one turned out to be the tight game most would expect of playoff baseball.

The Drive struggled early on the offensive side of the plate, but patience and persistence paid off for the Drive as timely hitting helped the Drive topple Hickory.

Gilberto Jimenez nearly gave the Drive a three-run lead early in the second inning as he launched a two-strike pitch down the right field line. It ticked just foul preserving the scoreless game as Jimenez went down on strikes on the next pitch.

Hickory seized on the near miss in the next inning picking up a walk, a steal and an RBI-single off the bat of Yosy Galan to make it 1-0.

But Penrod settled in from there, ultimately tossing five strong innings for the Drive. He’d allow the lone run and lone hit while walking four but striking out seven.

Feeding off the momentum from Penrod, the Drive knotted the game in the top of the fourth. After the Drive bats struggled with Crawdads’ starter, Jose Corniell, Allan Castro broke through, launching a solo homer over the right field wall to make it 1-1.

Greenville got to Corniell once more in the fifth as Kristian Campbell’s slicing double would wind up with him scoring as the throw into second was wild and rolled to the left field foul wall. He raced home to make it 2-1.

Casey Cobb picked up for Penrod, piecing together a 1-2-3 sixth inning and working the seventh as well. He’d allow just one run in the seventh but not before Gilberto Jimenez picked up a sacrifice-fly in the top half of the inning.

Up 3-2, the Drive turned it over to Frank German, recently sent to Greenville on an MLB rehab assignment. He mowed down the lineup in his only inning, picking up two strikeouts while preserving the one-run lead.

Felix Cepeda closed out the game for the Drive in the ninth, but it wouldn’t be without some fanfare. Cepeda picked up two quick outs for the Drive, but nearly gave up the game tying run on a hardliner that was inches from being a fair ball home run. He’d issue a walk before ringing up the final batter to give the Drive the win.

The Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox) return to action on Thursday, September 14 at Fluor Field for game two of the best-of-three SAL South Divisional Series with the Hickory Crawdads (Texas Rangers). The Drive lead the series, 1-0.