Lucena's Big Day Lifts Drive Past Tourists

Greenville, SC - The torrid offensive stretch for the Greenville Drive continued on Saturday night at Fluor Field, as the team collected 15 hits in a 9-3 rout of the Asheville Tourists in front of 5,602 fans.
Leading the way for the Drive (27-14) was catcher Isaias Lucena, who went 3-4 with a three-run double in the fifth inning in his first game since being activated from the disabled list. 

Asheville (18-23) starter Alejandro Requena (1-2) entered the game with a 1.45 ERA, but the Drive tagged him for nine hits and eight runs over four and two-third innings. Lucena and Lorenzo Cedrola delivered RBI hits in the second to put the Drive on the board, and Santiago Espinal followed with an RBI groundout for a third run.
Colton Welker doubled home a run for the Tourists in the third, but the Drive answered right back with an RBI single from Mitchell Gunsolus and a sacrifice fly from Tucker Tubbs.
RBI doubles in the top of the fourth by Carlos Herrera and Jose Gomez allowed the Tourists to cut the Drive lead to 5-3, but that was as close as they would get thanks to stellar bullpen work by the Drive.
Matthew Gorst (2-1) allowed just one run over three innings to get the victory, and Algenis Martinez finished the night with three scoreless frames to earn his first save.
Following an Asheville pitching change in the bottom of the fifth, Lucena smacked an opposite field double to the left field wall to bring home three runs and extend the Drive lead.
Chris Madera chipped in with an RBI single in the eighth to add the Drive's final run of the night. He joined Lucena with three hits, while Cedrola, Gunsolus and Hill all collected two hits as well.
Willie Abreu had three hits for Asheville, and Gomez and Welker added two hits apiece.
Having clinched a series victory in the five-game series, the Drive will go for another win on Sunday afternoon at 4:05 with left-hander Robby Sexton (0-3, 5.15) on the mound. Asheville will start right-hander Brandon Gold (2-2, 5.28).
~Greenville Drive~