Black Spinners Blank Hot Rods 4-0 Behind Eyanson, Futrell

Black Spinners Blank Hot Rods 4-0 Behind Eyanson, Futrell

GREENVILLE, S.C. — Playing as the Black Spinners on Saturday night, Greenville rode dominant pitching and a sixth-inning breakthrough to a 4-0 win over the Bowling Green Hot Rods at Fluor Field at the West End, improving to 5-9 on the season.

Red Sox #10 prospect Anthony Eyanson and Devin Futrell combined on a three-hit shutout for Greenville, which broke open a scoreless game with three runs in the sixth before tacking on another in the seventh. Bowling Green fell to 9-5.

Eyanson was sharp from the outset, allowing just two hits over five scoreless innings while striking out five and not issuing a walk. The right-hander faced only 17 batters, worked efficiently with 39 strikes in 55 pitches and kept the Hot Rods from mounting any sustained pressure.

Bowling Green’s best chance against Eyanson came in the third. Angel Mateo opened the inning with a single, but J.D. Gonzalez bounced into a 1-6-3 double play started by Eyanson and finished by Henry Godbout and Jack Winnay. After Ryan McCoy was hit by a pitch and Adrian Santana singled, Eyanson escaped again when Émilien Pitre grounded out to first.

Greenville threatened early but could not cash in against Bowling Green starter Jose Urbina, who kept the game scoreless through five innings despite allowing two hits and three walks. Justin Gonzales opened the first with a single and advanced to second on a fielding error by center fielder Connor Hujsak, but the Drive could not bring him home. Natanael Yuten doubled in the third and Mason White reached second on a wild pitch in the fourth, yet Urbina worked out of both jams.

The breakthrough finally came when Bowling Green turned to T.J. Fondtain in the sixth.

Yoeilin Cespedes started the inning with a double down the left-field line, and Winnay followed two batters later with a run-scoring double to left-center to put Greenville in front 1-0. White then lined a double to shallow left, sending Winnay to third. A wild pitch from Fondtain brought Winnay home and moved White to third, and Yophery Rodriguez added a two-out RBI double to right field to score White for a 3-0 lead.

The Black Spinners added another run in the seventh. Gonzales doubled to right, moved to third on a Godbout groundout and scored when Cespedes singled to left-center, stretching the lead to 4-0.

That was more than enough for Futrell, who took over in the sixth and finished the shutout for his first win of the year. The left-hander allowed just one hit over four innings, walked one and struck out three. He retired the final seven batters he faced, including back-to-back strikeouts in the eighth before closing the game with a clean ninth.

Santana accounted for two of Bowling Green’s three hits. Mateo had the other. The Hot Rods did not advance a runner past second base and went 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position.

Greenville finished with nine hits, including six doubles. Cespedes went 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Gonzales was 2 for 5 with a double and a run. Winnay doubled, drove in a run and scored, while White and Yophery Rodriguez also doubled as part of the sixth-inning surge.

Fondtain took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits in one inning of relief.

The Drive will look to earn a home series split on Sunday with first pitch in the finale set for 3:05 pm.