Hub City (10-8) came into Friday night’s game looking for a rebound and a guarantee of at least a split in the inaugural I-85 rivalry series after dropping game 3 of the six-game set 6-3. They would have the benefit of going behind their ace David Davalillo (0-0, 0.79 ERA) to try and make it happen against Greenville’s right hander Juan Valera (0-0, 7.30 ERA).
Davalillo worked around a 1 out single and an errant pickoff throw to leave a man in scoring position in the top of the 1st, allowing the offense the chance to come and draw first blood. They did just that on a clutch 2 out RBI single through the right side from 2nd baseman Casey Cook to take a 1-0 lead to the 2nd.
Davalillo had another runner reach on him with a 1 out Andy Lugo single in the top of the 2nd only to immediately erase him with a side-retiring 6-4-3 double play, setting the stage for a big inning for the Spartanburgers bats. Theo Hardy started the rally with a 2 out single and scored on a double from Dylan Dreiling. Anthony Gutierrez followed with his 2nd base hit of the game in as many plate appearances to plate Dreiling. Keith Jones II kept the train rolling with yet another RBI knock before Arturo Disla grounded out to the shortstop to end the rally, but Davalillo would go into the top of the 3rd with a comfortable 4-0 advantage.
The Drive finally managed to produce something offensively after Albert Feliz led off with a single and advanced on a wild pitch. He eventually took third on a wild pitch, scoring on an RBI ground ball to third from Fraymi De Leon. Davalillo got back to form with the next two hitters, getting a groundout to 2nd and his 5th strikeout of the night to retire the side. The 2 out lightning looked to strike again in the home half as Dreiling singled, but he ended up being left on as Gutierrez hit a comebacker to end the inning.
David Davalillo put out a flame two more times over his final 2 frames, stranding 2 in the 4th and 2 in scoring position in the 5th, putting his final line at 7 K’s, 2 walks, 5 hits, and just 1 earned run. In the bottom of the 5th, Arturo Disla gave him 2 more runs of support with a 2 run blast to the berm in left that followed a leadoff walk to Keith Jones II, giving the Spartanburgers a 6-1 lead heading to the 6th.
Davalillo gave way to Adonis Villavicenzio, who promptly gave up a single to Alcantara and then beaned White. Andy Lugo would make for a 3rd straight baserunner with an RBI single to cut the deficit to 6-2. Villavicenzio would rebound by sitting 5 of his next 7 batters faced with 3 strikeouts, a walk, and one more hit, keeping it a 6-2 game after the Spartanburgers failed to cash in on back to back leadoff baserunners (double from Mejia in the 6th, walk to Jones in the 7th).
Anthony Susac and Willian Bormie combined to finish off the game, striking out 4 more over the final 2 frames as the Spartanburgers improved to 11-8 on the season and 3-1 in the series with a 6-2 victory.
They can win the set on Saturday afternoon, as DJ MacCarty (0-1, 8.71 ERA) is set to face Greenville’s Jedixson Paez (0-2, 2.00 ERA). First pitch is set for 4:35 PM.
