Macias’s Walk-Off Knock Lifts ‘Burgers over Drive

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Hub City and Greenville locked horns in another low-scoring affair Friday night, and the Spartanburgers came out on top in style, thanks to Antonis Macias’s walk-off single. Until the ninth, pitching was once again the star of the show; Dalton Pence blanked the Drive through 5 1/3 scoreless innings.

Pence struck out eight, pounding the zone with 51 strikes out of 73 total pitches. Two of his strikeouts came in the top of the first inning. The southpaw retired four straight Greenville hitters via strikeout from the fourth to fifth. Pence held the Drive to one hit in his time on the mound.

The Spartanburgers cracked a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third. Greenville starter Kyson Witherspoon gave up a bunt single to Macias, who advanced to second on a wild pitch. With two outs, Maxton Martin muscled a single up the middle to score Macias from third. Hub City added another in the fourth when Arturo Disla lined out to right field, bringing Paxton Kling home.

The bullpen held the Spartanburgers off the scoreboard from the fifth through the eighth. Ben Hansen tossed three shutout frames in place of Witherspoon. PJ Labriola took over for a scoreless eighth.

Meanwhile, Adonis Villavicencio struggled in the seventh after finishing the sixth in relief of Pence. The right-hander allowed two singles on two pitches and walked a third batter to load the bases. Villavicencio was quickly lifted for Anthony Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa. The Hawaiian right-hander plunked the first batter he faced, which brought in a Greenville run. After a strikeout, Antonio Anderson bounced a ground ball over the mound, and the second baseman Macias took the sure out at first base. Freili Encarnacion scored to tie the game. Hub City couldn’t respond in the bottom of the seventh.

Still tied at two, Ho’opi’i-Tuionetoa set down the Drive in order in the eighth. Joey Danielson (W, 1-0) did the same in the top of the ninth.

Labriola (L, 0-1) started the bottom of the ninth with a walk to Kling and a hit by pitch. The Drive turned a double play off the bat of Disla, moving Kling to third. After a Yeison Morrobel walk, Macias sliced a single the other way over the shortstop to score Kling and win the game for the Spartanburgers.

With the series even at two games apiece, the ‘Burgers and Drive meet Saturday at 4:35. Right-handers Ismael Agreda (0-1, 11.25 ERA) and Anthony Eyanson (0-0, 3.00 ERA) are the projected starters. Tickets are available online at hubcityspartanburgers.com/tickets.

About the Hub City Spartanburgers

The Hub City Spartanburgers are the High-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and the reigning South Atlantic League South Division Champions. For more information on the Spartanburgers, visit milb.com/hub-city. For information about tickets to any of Hub City’s 66 home games, call 864-594-0701 or email: [email protected]. For media inquiries, email: [email protected]. Follow along with the Spartanburgers on social media.