Drive relinquish three-run lead to fall 6-4

The Greenville Drive (33-24, 59-64) dropped their third-straight game, relinquishing a three-run lead in the sixth inning as the Bowling Green Hot Rods (36-18, 72-48) poured in five runs en route to a 6-4 victory Thursday night at Bowling Green Ballpark.

The loss dropped the Drive to 4.5 games back of the first-place Hot Rods in the race for the final playoff spot in the South Atlantic League South Division, putting Bowling Green in the driver’s seat as the season heads into its final nine-game stretch.

Holding the 4-1 lead in the sixth, the Drive’s Hayden Mullins allowed a Mac Horvath leadoff homer before three-straight singles loaded the bases for the Hot Rods. Mullins would pick up a strikeout before being pulled for reliever Jeremy Wu-Yelland. Mullins tossed four innings in his piggyback outing behind starter Tyler Uberstine, allowing five runs on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts.

Wu-Yelland struggled from the outset, allowing a one-run single, tossed a wild pitch, and a two-run single in succession to allow Bowling Green to pull ahead for good, 6-4. Wu-Yelland ultimately tossed 1 ⅔ innings allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts.

Uberstine made his second start of the season, returning after Tommy John surgery kept him out the 2023 season, tossing 1 ⅓ innings allowing two hits while picking up a pair of strikeouts.

Isaac Stebens spun the final frame for Greenville.

The Drive offense found themselves on the receiving end of another high-strikeout night, striking out 16 times on the heels of striking out 17 times the night prior. Miguel Bleis carried much of the offense for Greenville Thursday accounting for three RBI though he amassed a lone hit — a two-run homer in the third that gave the Drive a 2-0 lead early.

Justin Riemer picked up two hits on the night and an RBI on a line drive single in the fifth that extended the Drive lead to 3-1. Bleis chipped in his final RBI with a sac-fly in the same frame, giving Greenville the 4-1 lead before the Hot Rods stormed back to swipe the victory.

The Drive return to action on Friday, August 30th at 7:35 p.m. for game four of a six-game series with the division-leading Bowling Green Hot Rods. The Drive are currently 4.5 games back of first-place Bowling Green, as the Hot Rods lead the series, 3-0, and have clinched at least a split of the week’s action.

The back and forth action finally broke one way in the bottom of the sixth. Piggyback reliever Noah Dean struggled on the mound walking the first four batters he faced and relinquishing a single to put Bowling Green up 6-4. After his fifth walk of the frame made it 7-4, Dean was pulled for Cooper Adams who allowed a sac-fly and a triple boosting the Hot Rods’ lead to 9-4.

Adams ultimately finished the night allowing the lone hit with one walk and three strikeouts.

The Drive return to action on Wednesday, August 28th for game two of a six-game series with the division-leading Bowling Green Hot Rods. The Drive are currently 2.5 games back of first place Bowling Green, as the Hot Rods lead the series, 1-0.