Drive blanked by Hot Rods, 6-0
A night after picking up eight runs on 12 hits, the Greenville Drive (2-5) were blanked by the Bowling Green Hot Rods (4-3) 6-0 on Friday, failing to take advantage of four extra bases and leaving nine runners on base. The Drive would not find a rhythm at the plate
A night after picking up eight runs on 12 hits, the Greenville Drive (2-5) were blanked by the Bowling Green Hot Rods (4-3) 6-0 on Friday, failing to take advantage of four extra bases and leaving nine runners on base.
The Drive would not find a rhythm at the plate going just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position as the Hot Rods pitching staff quelled any attempt to string hits together. On the flip side the Hot Rods continued to come up with key hits while taking advantage of Drive miscues en route to their third victory of the series.
After falling victim to two strikeouts in the first off Drive starter Luis Perales, the Hot Rods picked up back-to-back doubles in the second, with Hunter Haas’ line drive to right field evading Caden Rose’s diving attempt allowing Brock Jones to score. A follow-up single by Blake Roberston brought Haas home for the 2-0 lead.
Perales recovered in the third picking up a 1-2-3 inning but the fourth would belong to the Hot Rods as multiple mistakes by the Drive afforded the Hot Rods with extra outs. After Perales picked up two pop-up outs, Jhon Diaz reached on a fielding error to score Tatem Levins, before he and Brock Jones executed a double steal with the throw down to second allowing Jones to cross the plate for a 4-0 lead. Ryan Spikes would round out the scoring with an RBI single for a 5-0 Hot Rods lead.
Perales exited after the fourth, officially allowing seven runs, five runs (only two earned) paired with four strikeouts.
Drive reliever Cooper Adams would work four-hitless innings, giving up just a lone walk coupled with four strikeouts to keep the lead from getting out of hand. But the Drive would fail to capitalize on Adams’ momentum throughout the middle innings.
The Hot Rods picked up their sixth and final run in the top of the ninth on a Robertson ground out to second that plated Haas.
The Drive return to action April 13th at 7:05 p.m. at Fluor Field for game five of the six-game series with Bowling Green. The Hots currently lead the series 3-1, securing at least a split of the week’s action.