Drive Answer Hub City Rally With Seven-Run Eighth, Power Past Spartanburgers 12-6

Drive Answer Hub City Rally With Seven-Run Eighth, Power Past Spartanburgers 12-6

GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville Drive delivered one of their loudest innings of the season Tuesday night, erupting for seven runs on four home runs in the eighth inning to beat the Hub City Spartanburgers 12-6 in the opener of a six-game series at Fluor Field at the West End.

Greenville (12-10) finished with 15 hits and five home runs, turning a late one-run deficit into a commanding win after Hub City (9-12) briefly grabbed momentum with a four-run eighth. Yoeilin Cespedes, Yophery Rodriguez, Justin Gonzales, Henry Godbout and Freili Encarnacion all homered for the Drive, with Encarnacion providing the exclamation point on a two-out grand slam in the decisive eighth.

The Drive led 5-2 entering the eighth before Hub City rallied against Calvin Bickerstaff. Quincy Scott walked, stole second and scored on Chandler Pollard’s fielder’s choice. Luke Hanson followed with an RBI double to left-center, and Arturo Disla later launched a two-run homer to left to put the Spartanburgers ahead 6-5.

The lead lasted only minutes.

Rodriguez opened the bottom of the eighth with a solo homer to right on an 0-1 pitch from Kai Wynyard, tying the game at 6. Gonzales followed by driving the first pitch he saw over the wall in center, and Godbout made it three straight homers with a shot to left on a 2-1 pitch, putting Greenville back in front 8-6.

The Drive were not done. Cespedes singled, Gerardo Rodriguez followed with a base hit, and Isaiah Jackson walked to load the bases with two outs. Encarnacion then jumped on an 0-1 pitch and sent it out to right for a grand slam, stretching Greenville’s lead to 12-6. Yophery Rodriguez added a double later in the inning, finishing the frame a triple shy of the cycle after homering and doubling in the same inning.

The seven-run eighth gave Greenville its largest offensive inning of the night and capped a game in which the Drive repeatedly answered Hub City’s pressure.

The Spartanburgers struck first in the third. Maxton Martin walked, stole second, and moved to third after Arturo Disla and Malcolm Moore drew back-to-back walks. Paxton Kling singled to shallow right to score Martin, and Scott later drove in Disla on a fielder’s choice to give Hub City a 2-0 lead.

Greenville responded immediately in the bottom half. Gonzales singled, Godbout followed with a base hit up the middle, and a wild pitch by Aidan Curry brought Gonzales home. Cespedes walked and Gerardo Rodriguez singled to load the bases before Jack Winnay lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Godbout to tie the game at 2.

After the Drive left the bases loaded in the third and stranded another runner in the fourth, they broke through in the sixth. Encarnacion walked, Yophery Rodriguez reached on a throwing error by Pollard and stole second, and Cespedes turned on the first pitch from Anthony Susac for a three-run homer to left-center. The blast, Cespedes’ fourth of the season, gave Greenville a 5-2 lead.

Cespedes finished 2-for-4 with the homer, three RBI, two runs and a walk. Godbout went 3-for-5 with a homer and two runs, while Gerardo Rodriguez added three hits. Gonzales reached three times, going 2-for-5 with a homer, two runs and a walk. Yophery Rodriguez went 2-for-5 with a double, homer, two runs and an RBI. Encarnacion drove in four with his eighth-inning slam.

Luis Cohen gave Greenville key work out of the bullpen after starter Jojo Ingrassia. Ingrassia allowed two runs on three hits over three innings, walking four and striking out four. Cohen followed with three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two to keep the game tied and then protect Greenville’s lead through the middle innings.

Bickerstaff was charged with four runs on four hits over three innings but earned the win after Greenville’s eighth-inning rally. He struck out two, walked one and retired Hub City in order in the ninth to close the game.

Disla led Hub City, going 3-for-3 with a homer, two RBI, two runs and two walks. Hanson added two doubles and two runs driven in. Wynyard took the loss after allowing seven runs on seven hits, including four home runs, over 1 2/3 innings.

The Drive and Spartanburgers continue the six-game series Wednesday night at Fluor Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.