Burgers Take Field as Pastimes; Fall to Drive

Opening Weekend at Fifth Third Park did not go the way the Hub City faithful hoped, dropping the series to the Frederick Keys. Friday night, thanks to some strong pitching from the Keys that kept Hub City’s bats off balance all game long – surrendering just 3 base runners all the way and leaving all of them in scoring position, the Spartanburgers were blanked 6-0.

Following a 2 and a half hour rain delay on Saturday afternoon, the Spartanburgers once again found themselves having to climb out of an early hole, eventually rallying back from being down 5-0 to tie the game thanks to the first home run of the season by a Hub City hitter — a three run shot to the berm in left from Center Fielder Paxton Kling. In the end, the bullpen gave up a couple of late runs, dropping the three-game set with a 7-6 defeat.

The Easter Sunday finale was postponed, and due to not having another home game against the Keys this season, is set to be made up as part of a double header in Frederick when the Burgers meet the Keys ahead of the end of the first half of the season the week of June 16-21.

The first 6-game home stand of 2026 got underway on Tuesday night as Hub City, playing their first game as the Spartanburg Pastimes to honor the Spartanburg Alley Cats as well as all the other Summer Collegiate teams that have called Duncan Park Stadium home over its 100-year history, welcomed the Greenville Drive for the first installment of the I-85 Rivalry Series of the season.

Having been denied his originally-scheduled first start of the season by Mother Nature on Sunday afternoon, New Hub City manager Carlos Maldonado opted to send Aidan Curry to the mound opposite Greenville left hander Shea Sprague.

Curry worked around some early trouble after back to back one out singles from shortstop Henry Godbout and catcher Gerardo Rodriguez. Godbout was later caught trying to steal third for the 2nd out, which set the stage for Aidan to notch his first K of the season as he got designated hitter Yoeilin Cespedes to whiff, escaping the frame with a goose egg in the run column.

In the bottom of the 1st, the Burgers finally managed to score their first opening frame runs of the season with 2 out after Paxton Kling singled and Arturo Disla followed with a line drive two-run shot into the first row of Chaser’s Corner. Ben Hartl would go down swinging at a ball in the dirt to send the game to the 2nd, but Hub City had their first lead of the season at 2-0.

Curry settled in nicely after the first inning, stranding a runner in each of the next 3 frames with 7 strikeouts and no walks while scattering 5 singles. He gave way to Josh Sanders after 4 shutout innings, who cruised through his first frame, facing the minimum despite a leadoff single from 3rd baseman Freili Encarnacion. After the hit, Sanders struck out left fielder Yophery Rodriguez, later retiring the side on a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of right fielder Justin Gonzalez.

Sanders’ second inning of work did not fare well. With one out, Rodriguez was beaned on the wrist. Cespedes then grounded to third, which Perich dropped for an error. Winnay kept the line moving, loading the bases with a walk. Center Fielder Isaiah Jackson grounded up the gut, reaching on the force play at 2nd as Rodriguez scored. The big blow of the frame came when 2nd baseman Mason White lined a game-tying ground rule double off the base of the scoreboard. After that, Perich redeemed himself to get the Pastimes out of the inning by snow coning a low liner to send the game to the home half of the 6th knotted at 2.

The Drive took the lead in the top of the 8th off Hub City’s Paxton Thompson on a 2 out rally that started with another walk to Winnay. After a wild pitch moved him into scoring position, Jackson drove him in with a base knock. Mason White followed with a 2-run blast off the scoreboard, giving Greenville a 5-2 advantage.

In the buildup to that inning, the story of the night was the work of the Greenville pitching staff after Disla’s first inning homer. Sprague settled down and ended up matching Curry’s longevity, tossing 4 innings of 2 run ball with 4 strikeouts. He only got in one more jam across his last three frames, sandwiching a pair of singles around a force play with 1 out, and getting another force to escape.

Jojo Ingrassia came on to pitch the bottom of the 5th and worked three no-hit innings to keep the momentum going, allowing just one base runner on a one out walk to Paxton Klin in the 6th. Ingrassia ended up earning the win as he struck out 4 before giving way to Austin Ehrlicher, who would finish out the game with 2 Ks, no walks, one hit, and a goose egg over 2 frames.

Thompson took the the loss, tossing an inning and two thirds and surrendering 5 runs (4 earned) with a walk, 4 hits, and 2 strikeouts. Two of those runs came in the top of the 9th when the Drive cashed in a leadoff double from Yophery Rodriguez on a single from Gonzalez. With 2 out, an errant throw from Rafe Perich led to 2 bases for Gerardo Rodriguez followed by a Cespedes RBI double, making for the 7-2 final margin and earning Greenville their first win of the season while Hub City fell to 0-3.

The series resumes Wednesday night at 6:35 as right hander Enrique Segura goes up against a Greenville pitcher yet to be named.