Drive secure 3rd straight win with 4-3 victory over Hot Rods
GREENVILLE (Greenville Drive) — The Greenville Drive erased a one-run deficit with two runs in the eighth inning Sunday afternoon, beating the Bowling Green Hot Rods 4-3 at Fluor Field at the West End to secure a split of the six-game series. Greenville (6-9) won its third straight game and closed the homestand on a high note after dropping the first three games of the series. Bowling Green fell to 9-6.
The Drive jumped in front early with a two-out rally in the second. Mason White started it with a ground-rule double to right, and Isaiah Jackson followed by drawing a walk. After Freili Encarnacion was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Natanael Yuten struck out, Justin Gonzales delivered the big hit, lining a single up the middle to bring home White and Jackson for a 2-0 Greenville lead.
That edge held through four innings behind right-hander Marcus Phillips, who turned in one of his sharper outings of the young season. Phillips struck out seven over 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk. He worked around traffic in the first, second and third innings and left with Greenville still in control after recording two outs in the fourth.
Bowling Green finally broke through in the fifth against reliever Austin Ehrlicher. Jose Perez opened the inning with a single, and Émilien Pitre followed with a walk. After Nathan Flewelling flied out to center, Narciso Polanco was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Tony Santa Maria then shot a two-run single up the middle to score Perez and Pitre, tying the game at 2-all. Moments later, Santa Maria stole second and Polanco stole home on the same sequence, giving the Hot Rods a 3-2 lead. That swing of momentum threatened to send Greenville toward another tight loss, but the Drive bullpen stabilized the game from there.