Grasshoppers Pull Away in Extras to Down Drive 6–4, Take Series 5–1

Grasshoppers Pull Away in Extras to Down Drive 6–4, Take Series 5–1

Greenville, S.C. — The Greenville Drive pushed Sunday afternoon’s game to extra innings, but a four-run 10th by the Greensboro Grasshoppers sealed a 6–4 loss at Fluor Field, as the Drive dropped the six-game series five games to one.

The game, deadlocked 2–2 after nine innings, unraveled quickly in the 10th for Greenville (34–35). Reliever Darvin Garcia (1–3) surrendered three hits and was tagged for four runs, two earned, as Greensboro (47–21) capitalized on aggressive baserunning and a costly passed ball to pull away.

Pinch runner P.J. Hilson swiped home as part of a double steal to ignite the rally, and Duce Gourson followed with an RBI triple before coming home on a passed ball to stretch the lead to four.

The Drive mounted a response in the bottom half. Brooks Brannon singled home the free runner to start the frame, and Nelly Taylor added his second sac fly of the day to bring Greenville within two. But with the tying runs aboard and two outs, Nazzan Zanetello struck out swinging against Landon Tomkins, who earned his sixth save.

Greenville jumped out to an early 2–0 lead in the first inning. Franklin Arias and Miguel Bleis led off with a single and double, respectively, before Taylor plated Arias with a sac fly. Brannon later drove in Bleis with an RBI single.

Greensboro answered with a run in the second and tied the game in the seventh when catcher Omar Alfonzo launched a solo homer off Michael Sansone which was his 11th of the season.

Drive starter and Red Sox No. 15 Prospect Payton Tolle was sharp, striking out nine over six innings of one-run ball. Sansone allowed just the one hit, the homer, over three innings in relief, but Garcia faltered in the 10th.

Greenville was led at the plate by Arias (2-for-5), Brannon (2-for-3, RBI, run), and Bleis (1-for-3, double, two walks).

Justin Miknis led the Grasshoppers with two hits and two RBIs, while Gourson, who also walked and scored twice, extended his stolen base total to 21.

Despite the loss, the Drive were perfect in the field and got two outfield assists from Red Sox No. 11 Prospect Yophery Rodriguez, who cut down a pair of Grasshoppers on the basepaths in the early innings.

With the first half of the season behind them, the Drive will look to reset during Monday’s league-wide off day before opening the first full series of the second half on Tuesday night as they travel to the Peach State to take on the Rome Emperors.