After rain gave a day to cool off following an emotional game two in this series where Greenville evened things up with a 13-6 victory, the rivals took to the diamond to play a double header on Friday night.
Game one of the twin bill featured Caden Scarborough going against right hander Marcus Phillips. Caden was staked to an early lead thanks to a two out no-doubter out of right from Gleider Figuereo that was the highlight of an otherwise uneventful inning.
Scarborough cruised through the first inning, but had to work a bit to hang a zero in the second when Yophery Rodriguez and Stanley Tucker sandwiched a pair of infield singles around a fly ball to left and two strikeouts.
The Burgers bats came to life in the ensuing half when they sent nine to the plate and hung a five spot. The inning started with a single from Quincy Scott, who later swiped second and third. After a walk to Casey Cook, Maxton Martin singled on the infield to plate Scott. With one out, Luke Hanson also notched a base hit to fill the sacks. Following a call to the bullpen for righty Griffin Killander, Marcos Torres lined a single off the fence in the right field corner, plating two more.
With two away, Esteban Mejia lined into shallow left center. The ball got by the left fielder and went halfway to the warning track for a two-RBI double, making for a 6-0 Hub City lead.
After Scarborough stranded a leadoff single from first baseman Hudson White in the bottom of the third, the Burgers were able to nail the extra point. Casey Cook doubled off the green monster with one out and Gleider Figuereo drove him in on a base knock to the right field corner with two away. Figuereo later stole second, but was left there when Hanson was rung up, but it was a 7-0 game at the halfway point.
Scarborough turned in yet another clean frame, notching his sixth strikeout of the day along the way, and in the top of the fifth, singles from Torres and Mejia led to a one out three run shot over the far corner of the green monster from Arturo De Freitas, blowing it open at 10-0.
Scarborough would exit with one out in the home half of the fifth after a leadoff walk to Tucker, a wild pitch, and a grounder to first. He would not end up with a shutout as Adrian Rodriguez gave up a double to White, closing the book at four and two-thirds innings, a run on two hits, a walk, and six strikeouts.
Rodriguez then issued a free pass to Enddy Azocar, but was able to get out of the inning, getting Gerardo Rodriguez to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to make it 10-1 heading to the sixth.
For just the second time in the game, Hub City was kept off the scoreboard, allowing the Drive a chance to chip away. Rodriguez got the first two outs of the bottom half quickly, but then issued back to back singles to Yophery Rodriguez and Antonio Anderson. That prompted a call to the bullpen for Case Matter, who promptly gave up a two-run two-bagger off the monster. Right fielder Natanael Yuten followed with a base knock to put men on the corners, but White whiffed to leave them there and send the game to the seventh with Hub City up 10-3.
The Spartanburgers were retired in order in the top half and Azocar led off the home half with a homer to the patio of the apartment building beyond left center field. Gerardo Rodriguez drew a walk to follow that and advanced on a wild pitch. But Matter was able to find a rhythm, striking out the next two and getting a pop up to second to seal the win.
In game two, Kamdyn Perry went opposite left hander Devin Futrell. Hub City got an early runner when Hanson singled with one out. However, he was later hit by a batted ball grounded up the middle for what would be scored as a fielder’s choice 4 unassisted, allowing Martin to reach. But, he would be left on when Figuereo struck out swinging.
Greenville mounted a threat with two out in the bottom half after a walk to Gerardo Rodriguez. Catcher Ronny Hernandez grounded into a fielder’s choice, but trying to get in position to throw to second for a potential double play, Casey Cook dropped the ball for an error. Fortunately, nothing came of it as Yophery Rodriguez grounded to first to end the inning.
Both pitchers faced the minimum in their next respective half innings. But, the Drive finally got through in the bottom of the third. White was beaned to start the frame followed by a walk to center fielder Isaiah Jackson. With one out, Gerardo Rodriguez loaded the bases with a single. He was later forced on another ground ball hit to Cook that was bobbled. This time, Casey recovered, but White scored on the play as Hernandez reached. Perry then rebounded with a strikeout of Yophery Rodriguez, but Greenville held a 1-0 lead going to the fourth.
The Burgers were able to equalize in the top of the fifth, using a little small ball to cash in a leadoff double to left from Scott. Cal Stark bunted him over and Chandler Pollard blooped a double to right to crack the goose egg. But, trying to stretch a triple, Pollard was gunned out 4-5. Carter Garate then narrowly missed a solo shot, flying to deep right to retire the side with the game tied at 1.
Perry’s day ended after four innings, having surrendered one earned on two hits, three walks, and four strikeouts. He gave way to Jesús Gamez, who had to work out of trouble after issuing consecutive walks to Jackson and Cespedes. He very nearly got a triple play to escape when Gerardo Rodriguez lined to shallow right. Cespedes was doubled off first, but Jackson got back to second safely when the rushed throw went into left field, cut off by Figuereo behind third. Jackson later stole third, but he was left there when Hernandez popped up to first in foul ground to keep it tied.
Futrell pitched into the seventh inning for the Drive, striking out nine with just one earned run on four hits with a walk. He was taken down after a two out single from Scott, who later stole second. But it was all for naught as Stark went down swinging.
Kai Wynyard was called on to pitch the bottom half to try and force extra innings, but after a leadoff double from White that hit off the top of the monster — narrowly missing a walkoff homer, a couple of strategy calls to intentionally walk Cespedes and Gerardo Rodriguez came back to bite. With one out and the bases loaded, Hernandez lined a single to center to walk it off, securing the 2-1 victory as well as the double header split in addition to re-evening the series at two a piece.
The week rolls on Saturday night at 6:45 as Izack Tiger (0-4, 17.00 ERA) faces off against left hander Dylan Brown (2-6, 4.28).
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