Spartanburgers Drop Game Two to Drive in Extras

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Home runs continued to be a big part of the story in game two of Hub City’s (9-13) series at Greenville (13-10). The two teams combined for six homers in an extra-innings affair. Luke Hanson’s first pro home run in the top of the ninth helped force extra innings. After both teams launched two-run blasts in the tenth inning, the Drive used a fielder’s choice to walk off the Spartanburgers and win 8-7.

After both starters tossed a scoreless first inning, Hub City forced Greenville starter Ben Hansen into a lengthy second inning. With two on and two outs, Rafe Perich doubled home the first two runs of the game. Greenville immediately answered against starter Dalton Pence with back-to-back solo homers in the bottom of the second from Freili Encarnacion and Adonys Guzman. Another solo home run from Yoeilin Cespedes gave the Drive the lead in the third.

Alex Bouchard took over on the bump for Greenville in the third. After a leadoff double from Malcolm Moore in the fourth, Perich ripped a two-out single to tie the game 3-3. Bouchard locked down Hub City for the rest of his night, pitching into the eighth inning.

Pence finished his day with scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth. Joey Danielson took over on the mound in the sixth. After a leadoff single, Jack Winnay stroked an RBI double to give the Drive the lead back. Winnay eventually scored in the inning as well on a pair of errors from Arturo Disla. Jesus Gamez stranded two runners on in the bottom of the seventh for a scoreless inning of relief, and Luke Savage pitched a clean eighth.

After Danny Kirwin registered the final two outs of the eighth inning in relief for the Drive, the right-hander returned to the mound with a 5-3 lead in the top of the ninth. After a leadoff walk, Hanson bashed his first minor league home run the other way to tie the game. Savage set down the side in order in the bottom of the ninth to force extras.

Matt McShane (W, 1-0) was tasked with pitching the tenth for the Drive. With Maxton Martin serving as the automatic runner, a one-out home run from Moore pushed Hub City back to the lead. The ‘Burgers settled for two runs in the inning.

Savage (L, 0-2) returned to pitch the bottom of the tenth for Hub City. On the first pitch of the frame, Cespedes clubbed his second homer of the night to tie the game. Two singles followed to put Gerardo Rodriguez in scoring position as the winning run for the Drive with no outs. A flyout to right field allowed Rodriguez to tag up to third. The next batter, Encarnacion, hit a broken-bat comebacker to Savage, who fielded the ball cleanly and threw to second for one out. The relay from Antonis Macias was off the mark to first, allowing Rodriguez to score from third to win the game.

Hub City tries to snap its four-game losing streak on Thursday at 6:45 p.m. ET. The Spartanburgers send righty Enrique Segura (0-0, 6.00 ERA) to the mound to battle the Red Sox first-round pick from last year, right-hander Kyson Witherspoon (0-1, 6.00 ERA). The Spartanburgers’ next home series begins May 5. The Wilmington Blue Rocks, High-A farm club of the Washington Nationals, are in town. Tuesday is Arturo Disla bobblehead night; tickets are available online at hubcityspartanburgers.com/tickets.

About the Hub City Spartanburgers

The Hub City Spartanburgers are the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the reigning South Atlantic League South Division Champions. For more information on the Spartanburgers, visit milb.com/hub-city. For information about tickets to any of Hub City’s 66 home games, call 864-594-0701 or email: [email protected]. For media inquiries, email: [email protected]. Follow along with the Spartanburgers on social media.