Drive shutout Hot Rods, 4-0 behind Isaac Coffey’s 11 Ks

Mayer homers; Ferguson chips in 2 RBI

The Greenville Drive (17-19) delivered a dominating performance from start to finish Friday night, dispatching the Bowling Green Hot Rods (17-16), 4-0 behind a suffocating effort from starting pitcher Isaac Coffey, whose night was bolstered by the bats of Max Ferguson, and Marcelo Mayer.

Coffey, making his first start since May 12, was stellar from the mound, delivering six-shutout innings, ringing up 11 batters, while issuing one walk and allowing just four hits. Mayer chipped in his fifth home run of the season while Ferguson went 1-for-3 at the plate with a walk and 2 RBI double.

The Drive didn’t wait long to get on the board in this one, stringing together a three-run second inning. Bryan Gonzalez led off the second with a walk before Tyler Miller reached on a fielding error. Miguel Ugueto didn’t waste the two men on, sending a flared liner to right field scoring Gonzalez from second to give the Drive a 1-0 lead.

After a Nick Decker groundout and a Ronald Rosario walk, Max Ferguson slapped his 12th and 13th RBIs of the year as single to right-center field plated both Miller and Ugueto putting the Drive up 3-0.

Coffey commanded the middle innings, including stranding runners on second and third in the fifth as they reached on a walk and double respectively. Coffey would then get a pop-out and two strikeouts, sinking the Hot Rods momentum while bolstering the Drive’s own. Mayer rode that momentum into the bottom of the fifth, driving a solo home run over the short porch in right, giving the Drive the 4-0 lead.

Jordan DiValerio took over for Coffey in the seventh, spinning two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out four of the eight batters he faced. Robert Kwiatkowski took over in the ninth, sending all three batters down in succession, fanning two in the process.

Collectively, the three Drive pitchers collected 17 strikeouts across the 35 batters they faced tonight, giving the Drive a 3-1 series lead over Bowling Green.

The Drive (Boston Red Sox) return to action tomorrow, May 20 at Fluor Field for game five of the six-game series with the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Tampa Bay Rays), with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The Drive currently hold a 3-1 series lead.