Drive Even Series with 8-3 Win over Fireflies

Columbia, SC - The Greenville Drive offense came through in a big way on Friday night, using a pair of home runs and a five-run sixth inning to defeat the Columbia Fireflies 8-3 and even the series at one game apiece.

After the Fireflies (5-4) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, the Drive (5-4) answered right back in the third with a Joseph Monge sacrifice fly to tie the game.

The Drive took the lead for good in the fourth and made a little history in the process. Josh Ockimey led off the frame with a solo homer to right field off Thomas McIlraith (1-1) for his second home run of the year and the first in the new Spirit Communications Park in Columbia.

A Mitchell Gunsolus RBI double in the fifth scored Monge and pushed the lead to 3-1, and the five-run sixth allowed the Drive to pull away. A Fireflies wild pitch plated the first run, and Trenton Kemp followed by launching a two-run homer, his first of the year, to extend the score to 6-1. Gunsolus and Ockimey added RBI singles in the inning.

Roniel Raudes improved to 2-0 on the mound after his second consecutive strong start to begin the season. He worked five innings and allowed only one run on three hits with four strikeouts.

Jose Garcia and J.C. Rodriguez drove home runs for the Fireflies in the bottom of the seventh.

Ockimey and Gunsolus each picked up two hits and two RBI for Greenville on the night, while Kemp drove in two runs as well. 

Game three of the four-game series begins at 7:05 on Saturday night in Columbia. The Drive will send right-hander Daniel Gonzalez (1-0, 0.00) to the mound, while the Fireflies will counter with left-hander Kevin Canelon (0-0, 4.50).