Tuesday night, Hub City made the short trek over to Greenville for the first of 6 games in round 2 of the 2026 I-85 Rivalry Series. The Burgers came in reeling, being outscored 20-1 over both games of a Sunday double header with the Winston-Salem Dash in which Hub City was swept to drop the series.
In Tuesday’s opener, Aidan Curry turned in another long outing, which would be a boon to the bullpen that was highly taxed across the 14 innings on Sunday afternoon. He worked into the 5th inning, officially being pulled after 4 and a third, having given up 2 earned runs on 5 hits with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts.
At the dish, Hub City got the scoring started in the top of the third, when Greenville starter JoJo Ingrassia walked Maxton Martin, Arturo Disla, and Malcolm Moore back to back to back to start the frame. Paxton Kling kept the line moving with an RBI single and with 1 out, Quincy Scott II beat out the throw from the third baseman for a fielder’s choice, allowing Disla to trot home.
The Drive re-knotted things in the bottom half, which started in eerily similar fashion for Curry. He gave up consecutive singles to Justin Gonzales and Henry Godbout. A wild pitch brought home their first run while after a walk to Yoeilin Cespedes and a knock from Gerardo Rodriguez to load the bases, Jack Winnay tied the game with a sac fly to center.
The deadlock held until the bottom of the 6th when Anthony Susac gave up three unearned runs on a 2 out homer from Cespedes following a throwing error charged to Gleider Figuereo. That would not be the last time a ball would leave the yard.
In the 8th, Hub City struck for a 4 spot — the big blow of which came on a mammoth 2 run shot way over the green monster with 2 out, capping a perfect three for three night that included 2 RBIs, 2 walks, and 2 runs scored. That gave the Burgers a 6-5 lead heading to the bottom of the 8th.
Kai Wynyard came on in the 7th and worked a clean inning. However in the 8th, within the first five pitches, the Drive struck him for three straight home runs to take the lead 8-6. That would not be all the scoring in the frame, however. The homers were followed by consecutive singles and a 1 out walk. With 2 away and the sacks full, Freili Encarnacion hit a grand slam that narrowly got over the right field fence to extend the lead to 12-6, which would go on to be the final as the Burgers went in order in the 9th.
In game 2, Dalton Pence (0-1, 2.35 ERA) went up against Greenville right hander Ben Hansen (0-0, 11.57). After Hub City went quietly in the top of the frame, Pence, who was scratched from his scheduled start last Friday, gave up a leadoff single to Justin Gonzales and a 1 out base hit to Cespedes before getting a foul pop up to 1st and a fly ball to center to get out of the first inning.
Malcolm Moore drew a 1 out walk in the top of the 2nd and went first to third on a 2 out single from Yeison Morrobel. Rafe Perich followed with a 2 run double over the head of the right fielder and off the fence. He would be left there as Luke Hanson rolled to third to retire the side with a 2-0 Spartanburgers lead.
That lead lasted 10 pitches as in near Déjà vu fashion to the bottom of the 8th last night, Greenville struck for back to back solo jacks to center from Encarnacion and Adonys Guzman with 1 out. Pence rebounded with a strikeout and a fly out to left, but heading to the third, the game was knotted at 2 apiece.
The Drive broke that deadlock with another solo home run — this one out of left from Cespedes with one away in the bottom of the third, which came after Hub City left their 2nd runner in scoring position in the top of the frame after a Maxton Martin opposite field double down the left field line with 2 out.
In the ensuing half inning, the Burgers got that run back after Moore doubled on a ground ball up the gut that rolled all the way to the fence in center. With 2 out, Rafe Perich clutched up with a single to knot the game at three. Luke Hanson followed with another base hit, but they would both be left on as Antonis Macias flied to shallow left to retire the side.
Dalton Pence departed after five innings, having given up the three earned on 7 hits with 6 strikeouts and no walks. He gave way to Joey Danielson, who ran into immediate trouble. Gerardo Rodriguez led off with a single and scored from first on a double to left from Jack Winnay that kicked around off the base of the green monster. After that, Isaiah Jackson grounded to first, but Arturo Disla botched the attempt to field it. He rebounded, but threw the ball away trying to atone with a force play at third. That 2nd Disla error on the same play allowed Winnay to score. Danielson got the next three in order to hold the Drive to 2 runs, but heading to the 7th, Greenville led 5-3.
That lead held through to the top of the ninth despite multiple threats from Hub City. The Burgers stranded a runner in scoring position in the 5th, 7th, and 8th. But in the 9th, off Drive closer Danny Kirwin, Rafe Perich worked a leadoff walk. Luke Hanson followed with a 2 run shot to right to tie the game at 5, but the next three went quietly to send the game to the bottom of the 9th in a deadlock.
Luke Savage later retired the Drive in order to bring on extra innings, and with one away, Malcolm Moore sent a laser beam high and deep out of right off reliever Matt McShane to give the Burgers a 7-5 lead. But Greenville repeated that feat in the bottom of the frame as Cespedes sent a 2 run rocket to right to tie the game at 7.
After the homer, Savage gave up back to back singles to Gerardo Rodriguez and Jack Winnay. A fly ball to right from Jackson advanced the winning run to third, but the Burgers still had a chance to force an 11th inning. On the next pitch, Savage fielded a broken bat comebacker from Encarnacion and threw to 2nd trying to turn an inning ending 1-4-3 double play. Winnay was forced out, but the throw from Macias to Disla went wide, allowing Encarnacion to reach on the RBI fielder’s choice, plating Rodriguez as the winning run as the Drive took the 8-7 win and improved to 2-0 on the series.
Hub City’s losing skid is now at 4 in a row as they fall to 9-13 on the season. They will take another crack at breaking it tomorrow night at 6:45 as Enrique Segura faces a Greenville arm yet to be determined.
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