After the raw emotion of the big night, last night, the Spartanburgers entered Wednesday night with sunny weather and a much bigger crowd hoping to duplicate the results. The matchup would feature the high-A debut of Kolton Curtis, who was just assigned to the Hub City Tuesday night after spending the 2024 season with the Down East Wood Ducks (the former Low A Rangers affiliate moved up to become the Spartanburgers after the season ended). Curtis had yet to record an official pitch in the 2025 season, but a year ago, he notched a 3.85 ERA and a 4-7 record in 15 starts and 23 total appearances. In 82 innings of work, he recorded 80 strikeouts to just 42 walks while also surrendering 58 hits (7 homers), and 26 earned runs (36 total runs). Curtis would oppose Greenville’s left hander Noah Dean (0-0, 4.91 ERA).
His first inning could not have been more ideal as he sat the Drive in order, recording a pair of looking strikeouts in the process. At the plate, Hub City got the scoring started early. After a 4-6-3 double play that erased a leadoff single by Left Fielder Dylan Dreiling, designated hitter Keith Jones II drew a walk and went first-to-third on a single from first baseman Arturo Disla. Second baseman Casey Cook put burgers on the grill for catcher Julian Brock, who reached on an E6 that scored Jones and Disla. Later on, Brock swiped 2nd, allowing Cook to score on the throw to give the Burgers a 3-0 lead heading to the 2nd inning.
Curtis would work one more clean inning before running into trouble in the top of the 3rd. Greenville First Baseman Juan Montero singled with 1 out and went 1st to third on a second straight base hit from second baseman Fraymi De Leon, who would later be caught stealing for the 2nd out. Center Fielder Yophery Rodriguez worked a walk to set up a 2-run double to left by designated hitter Nazzan Zanetello. After that, Curtis gave way to righty Adonis Villavicenzio, who got out of the inning by getting right fielder Nelly Taylor Jr to pop up to third.
Noah Dean got into a rhythm for the Drive with 2 straight K’s spanning the bottom of the 2nd and third innings, and would go four complete, finishing with 6 strikeouts, 2 walks, 2 hits, and 3 unearned runs. The Spartanburgers’ bullpen matched him with a full inning from Villavicenzio (1.1 IP, 1 K, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R). Aidan Curry came on to start the fifth inning for the Burgers and got into some trouble after third baseman Andy Lugo led off with a single. Curry tried to pick him off, but threw it up the line to put a man in scoring position for Montero, who drew a walk. After striking out De Leon, Yophery Rodriguez grounded deep into the hole to Hub City shortstop Danyer Cueva, who tried to go the short route to 2nd for the force, but was late on the throw, scoring the tying run in Lugo who had just taken third on a wild pitch. Curry eventually composed himself and bounced back with back to back strikeouts of Zanetello and Taylor Jr, making for a 3-3 game heading to the home half of the frame.
Aidan got into trouble again in the 5th, scattering three walks, but also sandwiching in a pair of K’s and a crisis-averting 6-4 force play to keep the game tied heading to the bottom of the frame, but Hub City was unable to score after a 2 out single from Dreiling was erased on a force at 2nd. Curry would come back out for the 7th, once again playing with fire without getting burned. Rodriguez led off with a single but was thrown out trying to steal on a strike out/throw out double play. Nelly Taylor legged out a hustle double with 2 out and advanced to third on a wild pitch, only to be left on as left fielder Miguel Bleis popped up to third to send the game to the stretch deadlocked at 3.
Max Carlson came in to pitch the 7th for the Drive and gave up a 1 out two-bagger off the glove of the diving 2nd baseman on a liner. But he was left on after Theo Hardy (replaced Cueva after he appeared to injure his ankle on the fielder’s choice play that tied the game) struck out swinging and Dreiling lined out to right.
The battle of the bullpens continued in the 8th inning as Larson Kindreich struck out two to waste a 2 out infield single from Lugo in the top of the frame. In the bottom half, Jones singled with 1 out, followed by a base knock from Disla. Casey Cook walked to put burgers on the grill for catcher Julian Brock. Greenville then brought in left hander Jeremy Wu-Yelland, who promptly ended any chance of not having to bat in the bottom of the 9th by getting Brock to fly to shallow center. Jones tagged and was hosed at the plate with ease for an 8-2 double play to send the game to the ninth.
Larson Kindreich came back out to try and notch a win in relief. He struck out 2 more Greenville hitters, making for a combined 15 recorded by all Spartanburgers pitchers (and 28 combined with yesterday). That set the stage for even more Spartanburgers/Fifth Third Park history.
Gleider Figuereo led off with a walk and advanced into scoring position on a single from Quincy Scott. Theo Hardy laid down a bunt, and on the fielder’s choice, Figuereo was forced at third. After Dreiling went down swinging, Anthony Gutierrez came to the plate, 0-fer on 4 plate appearances up to that point. He picked up his first hit when it mattered most with an opposite field single to right that scored Scott to win it 4-3 and put the Spartanburgers (10-7) up 2-0 in the inaugural I-85 rivalry series.
The series steams along on Thursday night at 6:35 as Josh Trentadue (1-0, 0.00 ERA) faces off against a pitcher yet to be determined for the Drive.
