Intimidators Take Down Drive, 7-2

Kannapolis, NC-The Greenville Drive (1-1) pitching was a big reason for the team's victory on Opening Day. Friday didn't go quite as smoothly for the Drive on the mound, and the Kannapolis Intimidators were able to grab a 7-2 win to even the series at one game apiece.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Intimidators took advantage when Drive starter Jamie Callahan (0-1) struggled with his control. A pair of singles and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out, and a walk to Tyler Williams brought in the tying run. Callahan looked like he would escape the jam when he struck out the next two batters, but a walk to Danny Hayes and a hit-by-pitch of Jacob Morris brought home two more runs and ended Callahan's evening.

Kannapolis starter Tyler Danish (1-0) picked up the victory with five innings of work, allowing a pair of unearned runs and four hits while punching out six. Storm Throne followed with a pair of scoreless innings, and Jake Sanchez hurled two scoreless innings of his own to pick up the save.

The Drive took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first after Jake Romanski tripled and later scored on a passed ball.

Romanski scored the only other run for the Drive as well, as he drew a leadoff walk in the sixth and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

The Intimidators pulled away with a single run in the seventh on an RBI single by Carl Thomore and three more runs in the eighth thanks to an RBI triple by Adam Engel and a two-run single from Trey Michalczewski.

Thomore and Williams collected two hits apiece for the Intimidators, while Wendell Rijo was the lone Drive batter with two hits.

Game three of the four game series in Kannapolis begins at 7:05 on Saturday night. RHP Pat Light will take the ball for Greenville, and he will be opposed by Kannapolis RHP Robinson Leyer.