It was a moment decades in the making. On Tuesday night, Spartanburg, South Carolina would be seeing affiliated minor league baseball once again. After thirty years of hopeless longing for the return of the sport and 2 more years of hopeful anticipation since news broke that the sport was coming back, opening night was a moment so beautiful that one could not help but well up with tears if they are a Spartanburg native and baseball lover. Especially if they had long resigned to the fact that they would have to drive to Greenville or Atlanta to see pro baseball.
The Hub City Spartanburgers opened Fifth Third Park to a ton of buzz and fanfare with the first of a 12-game homestand. The team had just returned from a 9-game season-opening road swing that featured 3 games against the Aberdeen Ironbirds (Orioles), and 6 with the Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals). The first nine contests of the season were fairly successful with the Burgers coming home with a 5-4 record and sitting atop the South Atlantic League Southern Division Standings having compiled a team ERA of 3.12, a team batting average of .206, and scoring an average of 4 runs per game.
The ‘Burgers welcomed the Bowling Green Hot Rods, an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, and the defending SAL champion, who also entered at 5-4 on the season averaging just under 5 runs per game with a team batting average of .230 while surrendering an average of just 4 and compiling a team ERA of 4.09 through their first 9 games.
In short, these 2 teams come from 2 of the deepest farm systems in all of affiliated baseball, and they are nearly even – at least when you look at numbers on paper. And the opener to this series reflected that.
When all the pregame fanfare was said and done, Leandro Lopez (0-0, 2.70 ERA) took to the mound. But, perhaps a case of the opening day jitters got to him. He walked the leadoff man and gave up a single to former Kentucky Wildcat Emilien Pitre to follow. After bouncing back with consecutive strikeouts, he surrendered a 2 run double to Tony Santamaria and a run-scoring single to Daniel Vellojin. After issuing one more free pass, Lopez got out of the inning with a ground ball to short, but the Spartanburgers would find themselves coming to bat for the first time down 3-0.
It did not take long for an answer as Tennessee alum and Hub City left fielder Dylan Dreiling lined a missile just over the right field fence for the first home run in ballpark history. Center fielder Anthony Gutierrez followed with a single and stole 2nd and third, both with 2 out after Catcher Malcolm Moore struck out swinging. On the steal at third, the throw went into left field for an error, allowing Gutierrez to score and cut the deficit to 1 heading to the second inning.
The Hot Rods threatened once again after a 1 out single from shortstop Adrian Santana that was followed by a Pitre base knock. After a pop up to 1st, Third Baseman Mac Horvath drew a walk to load the bases. But, a Ffelders Choice 4 unassisted got Lopez out of it with no damage done.
Hub City tied the game in the bottom of the 2nd with some 2 out magic from the bottom of the order after First Baseman Quincy Scott drew a walk. Shortstop Danyer Cueva followed it with a double to the right field corner that scored Scott from first to tie the game at 3 heading to the 3rd.
Bowling Green threatened yet again in the top of the frame after a leadoff single from Catcher Daniel Vellojin and a 1 out E6 that allowed Left Fielder Ryan Spikes to reach and ended the night for Lopez. Joey Danielson came in to relieve and managed to work out of danger with a 3-6-3 double play, setting the stage for some more offensive fireworks to incite a roar from the home crowd that was officially announced at 4,467. After a leadoff double from Dreiling, Malcolm Moore blasted a 2 run shot out of right field to give the Spartanburgers their first-ever home lead at 5-3.
That lead would hold as the bullpens took control of the game the rest of the way.
Danielson ended up going two and two-thirds shutout innings, surrendering just two hits with three strikeouts, which earned him the win. Josh Mollerus and Seth Clark supplemented him by combining for 4 more shutout frames, not allowing a single base runner until Adrian Santana singled through the right side with 2 out in the top of the 9th. On the Bowling Green side, 3 relievers combined to shut Hub City down, giving up just 2 hits and striking out 5 in five innings of work.
In the end, the home team made history and sent the raucous crowd home happy with their 6th victory of the season behind a 3-4 night at the plate from Dreiling, who also added an RBI and 2 runs scored. Malcolm Moore finished 2 for 4 and led the team with 2 runs batted in with a run scored. Danyer Cueva logged the team’s lone other RBI in a 1-2 night at the dish.
The Spartanburgers will return to action tomorrow night with first pitch set for 6:35 PM. Josh Trentadue, who has a zero ERA with 3 strikeouts in 4 innings pitched this season, is expected to get the start for Hub City against Bowling Green’s Marcus Johnson (0-2, 8.00 ERA).
