GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Charleston RiverDogs scored seven unanswered runs to down the Greenville Drive, 7-1, on Saturday evening, taking a 2-1 lead in this installment of the Palmetto State Rivalry Series.Greenville got on the board in the bottom of the first. After back-to-back one-out singles by Tyler Esplin and
GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Charleston RiverDogs scored seven unanswered runs to down the Greenville Drive, 7-1, on Saturday evening, taking a 2-1 lead in this installment of the Palmetto State Rivalry Series.
Greenville got on the board in the bottom of the first. After back-to-back one-out singles by Tyler Esplin and Triston Casas, Devlin Granberg sent a fly ball to center, scoring Esplin on a sacrifice fly to give the Drive the early lead. Charleston tied the game at one in the top of the third on back-to-back doubles by Kyle Gray and Canaan Smith, before Drive starter Chris Machamer worked around a two-out walk that loaded the bases to strand three runners.
Charleston took its first lead of the game in the top of the fourth, scoring for the second-straigh inning with two outs. Welfrin Mateo doubled off the wall, then Eduardo Navas followed with a single to give the RiverDogs a 2-1 lead.
The RiverDogs added to the lead with five runs in the fifth and sixth, highlighted by a three-run homer by Max Burt in the top of the fifth. The Drive had a chance to respond in the bottom of both innings. After Grant Williams and Cole Brannen led off the bottom of the fifth inning with back-to-back singles, Charleston worked out of trouble, retiring the next three batters and stranding the scoring chance. Jordan Wren led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and moved to second on a Charleston error, but was stranded there, as the RiverDogs preserved the 7-1 lead.
The Drive had another chance to cut into the lead in the bottom of the ninth, after a two-out single by Brannen was followed by a walk by Esplin, Charleston reliever Carols Espinal got a line out to end it and give the RiverDogs the 7-1 victory.
Charleston starter Alexander Vizcaino threw 4.2 innings and allowing one runs on five hits, striking out six with two walks. Tanner Myatt (3-1) earned the win for the RiverDogs, throwing 2.1 innings in relief, shutting down the Drive offense and allowing just one hit and no runs with three strikeouts.
Drive starter Chris Machamer (3-6) was tagged with the loss, throwing 4.1 innings and giving up five runs on six hits. Oddanier Mosqueda and Yoan Aybar combined to hold the RiverDogs scoreless in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, with Aybar throwing 2.0 innings and allowing just one hit.
Brannen went 2-for-4 to lead the Drive at the plate, while Granberg picked up the team's lone RBI.
The Drive close out the series against the RiverDogs on Sunday afternoon at 3:05 p.m.
