Suns salvage split of series with 8-4 win over Greenville
HAGERSTOWN, MD - The Hagerstown Suns (25-14, 69-40) opened up a back-and-forth game with a three-run sixth inning on Tuesday night, leading to an 8-4 win over the Greenville Drive (10-29, 44-64). The Suns finish 3-5 against Greenville in the season-series.
Tied at 4-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth, 2B Brennan Middleton hit a one-out double to left. The next hitter, CF Rafael Bautista, grounded out to second, pushing Middleton to third. Middleton scored from third when LF Narciso Mesa reached on a fielding error by SS Jimmy Rider. Then, SS Wilmer Difo went yard with a two-run blast over the right-center field wall to put Hagerstown ahead 7-4.
Greenville had tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth. Right Fielder Franklin Guzman led off with a blast that went into the visitors bullpen in centerfield for his first homerun of the season. The first three runs for the Drive all came in the second inning. Four consecutive singles began the frame, plating two runs and putting runners at second and third with none out. The final run in the inning scored on an RBI groundout by 3B Hector Lorenzana.
The first two runs for the Suns also scored on RBI groundouts. In the first a groundout to second by Mesa plated Bautista to make it 1-0 Hagerstown. In the second inning Bautista drove in a run with a groundout to second. That was followed by a run producing triple by Mesa to even the game at 3-3.
A solo homerun by 1B Carlos Lopez in the third gave Hagerstown its 4-3 advantage. The final Suns run of the night crossed the plate in the seventh thanks to back-to-back doubles to begin the fame. Lopez had the second double of the pair, and finished the night with two RBI. The Suns finished the night with a season-high seven doubles.
Starting RHP Nick Pivetta (12-6) moved into a tie for the league lead in wins by tossing seven innings and allowing four earned runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out seven to earn the victory. RHP Myles Smith (3-8) suffered the loss for the Drive. He threw four innings in relief, giving up four runs (one earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out six.
The Suns next head to Charleston, South Carolina to begin a four-game series against the Charleston Riverdogs (20-18, 53-55), which begins on Thursday, July 31. The Suns will send RHP Lucas Giolito (6-2) to the mound for his 17th start and appearance with the club. He will square off against LHP Chaz Hebert (1-2) for Charleston. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.