Suns struggles against Greenville continue with 8-4 loss

HAGERSTOWN, MD - The Hagerstown Suns (23-14, 67-40) fell to 1-5 against the Greenville Drive (10-27, 44-62) this season following an 8-4 loss on Sunday evening at Municipal Stadium. The win clinches the season-series for Greenville with just two games left between the two teams this year.

 

Greenville scored in six different innings on Sunday evening, and pounded out 13 hits. The attack began in the second inning when 3B Hector Lorenzana hit an RBI single to right to put the Drive ahead 1-0. The lead increased to 2-0 in the third thanks to an RBI single by 1B Tim Roberson.

 

Hagerstown managed to knot the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third. With one out RF Rafael Bautista was hit by a pitch. Center fielder Cody Dent then tripled to right to drive in Bautista and make it 2-1. Dent wound up scoring from third on a sacrifice fly to center field by DH John Wooten.

 

The Drive broke the 2-2 tie with two runs of their own in the fifth. Center fielder Manuel Margot led off the frame with a ground ball single to right. That was followed by a line drive triple to left off the bat of DH Forest Allday to make it 3-2. Allday scored from third later in the inning when LF Zach Kapstein singled up the middle.

 

The Greenville lead increased to three in the sixth on an RBI single by Allday. Both teams plated a run in the eighth to keep the margin the same. The Hagerstown run in the bottom of the inning was brought home by an RBI double off the bat of Wooten.

 

The Drive outscored the Suns 2-1 in the ninth to set the final margin of four. It was RHP Ryan Ullmann (3-1) who suffered the loss for Hagerstown. He pitched two innings in relief, allowing three earned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out one. Starting RHP Jason Garcia (1-1) got the win for Greenville. He threw six innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four. RHP German Taveras pitched the final three innings for the Drive to record the three-inning save, his first of the year.

 

These two teams continue their four-game series at Municipal Stadium on Monday July 28. The Suns will send RHP Reynaldo Lopez (0-1) to the mound for his third start and appearance of the year with Hagerstown. He will square off against LHP Daniel McGrath (4-4) for Greenville. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.