Drive Comeback Falls Just Short in Series Finale

Greenville, SC - The Greenville Drive staged a furious comeback after falling behind early on Thursday night at Fluor Field, but the Augusta GreenJackets held on for an 8-7 victory in the series finale.

After the fourth inning, the Drive (3-18) scored at least once in all but one inning, marking the most runs the team has scored since the home opener on April 12^th.
In the bottom of the fifth, trailing 7-0, the Drive offense came alive. Kervin Suarez and Frankie Rios hit back-to-back doubles to put Greenville on the board. Lorenzo Cedrola, a key member of the 2017 championship roster making his season debut, brought in Rios with an RBI single.
Pedro Castellanos tacked on another run in the sixth with an RBI groundout to bring in C.J. Chatham, who led off with a double.
The Drive added even more pressure in the seventh as a Cole Brannen RBI single and a two-run single from Everlouis Lozada cut the GreenJackets lead to one at 7-6.
Augusta (14-6) tacked on what would be a necessary insurance run in the top of the ninth as a walk to Jean Angomas came back to bite the Drive when Ryan Kirby doubled to the center field wall.
Greenville had the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth after Victor Acosta drove in Brannen with a single, but Olbis Parra recorded the final out to notch his second save.
Drive left-hander Enmanuel De Jesus, another same-day addition to the roster, came on in relief in the fifth inning and stopped the GreenJackets in their tracks. He threw four scoreless innings, surrendering just three hits while striking out eight batters.
Augusta jumped on Drive starter Nick Duron (0-4) starting in the second. A triple from John Riley off the right-center field wall scored Jacob Gonzalez, who reached on a walk. Riley scored one batter later after a single from Logan Baldwin.
The surge continued in the third with more extra base hits, including an RBI double from Manuel Gerardo and a two-run home run from Gonzalez in the fourth. The Drive did themselves in in the fourth as a walk, error, single, hit by pitch and passed ball resulted in two more runs.
Aaron Phillips (1-0) got the win for the GreenJackets with six strikeouts in five innings, and he allowed two runs.
Acosta went 3-5 to lead the Greenville offense. Cedrola and Suarez added two hits apiece.
The Drive will renew the Battle of the Palmetto State presented by Spinx with the Charleston RiverDogs, a New York Yankees affiliate, on Friday at 7:05 PM. Right-hander Alex Scherff (0-3, 10.22) will take the mound for Greenville against Charleston right-hander Daniel Ramos (2-1, 5.84).
~Greenville Drive~