Following a double header split on Friday, the next skirmish in round three of the I-85 Rivalry Series took place with Izack Tiger (0-4, 17.00 ERA) facing Greenville left hander Dylan Brown (0-2, 4.28).
After Hub City went quietly in the top of the first, the Drive drew first blood quickly, cashing in a leadoff triple to the right field corner from Enddy Azocar. Yoeilin Cespedes followed it with an RBI single to left, later taking second on a disengagement violation charged to Tiger, who rebounded nicely with consecutive ground ball outs and a whiff to limit the damage to one.
The Burgers got that run back in the ensuing half after a two out double to the right field corner from Esteban Mejia. He later stole second and scored thanks to a fielding error on the play charged to the third baseman. Marcos Torres followed with a single and later scored from first on a double off the batter’s eye from Chandler Pollard, giving Hub City a 2-1 lead.
It did not last long as Greenville first baseman Ronny Hernandez — the hero last night with the walkoff single in game two of the double header, belted a leadoff solo shot to the railroad tracks beyond right field. Natanael Yuten later walked with two away, but he was left on as Azocar flew to deep center, sending the game to the third inning knotted at two apiece.
Both pitchers settled from there, with Tiger eventually departing after three and two-thirds, surrendering just two earned on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts. He gave way to Anthony Susac, who promptly got into a jam with a triple to center from Antonio Anderson. But, he then rang up Yuten to end the frame, preserving the 2-2 tie.
After Brown continued to mow the Burgers down with his third three up three down frame of the night, Brock Porter came on to start the bottom of the fifth. He got into a bind with one out after sandwiching walks to Cespedes and Luke Heyman around a single from Gerardo Rodriguez. But, Porter wiggled out of it, getting Isaiah Jackson to pop up to short and Hernandez to line to center.
Brown would exit the game after six innings of two run ball (one earned), notching four hits, no walks, and seven strikeouts. He gave way to left hander Shae Sprague, who saw the tie broken as Quincy Scott sent a solo shot over the corner of the monster to start the seventh. Mejia then lined a double to center, later scoring on a base hit through the right side from Torres, making for a 4-2 Spartanburgers lead at the stretch.
Porter kept Greenville off the scoreboard for three and two-thirds, giving up two hits, walking four, and striking out three, which would earn him the win in relief. He was taken down for Owen Proksch, who beaned Anderson before getting Yuten looking to send the game to the ninth.
The Burgers were gifted some insurance playing small ball after a leadoff single from Mejia. Torres then bunted him over and Pollard drew a four pitch walk. The next play, Pollard stole 2nd without a throw while the catcher tried to get Mejia on a back-pick to third. But, he threw the ball up the left field line, rolling all the way to the corner to score two. Casey Cook flew to center to retire the side, but Greenville would need a grand slam to keep the game going in the bottom half.
They would not get it as Proksch slammed the door with a three up three down frame to seal it. Hub City gave the Drive a Blue Christmas (in July) with a 6-2 victory, securing no worse than a split of the six-game set, but Hub City could still clinch the series with a win in Sunday afternoon’s finale. First pitch is set for 3:05 as an arm yet-to-be-named squares up with left hander JoJo Ingrassia (2-1, 3.51 ERA).
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