Drive score nine in extras to swipe 12-8 victory from Dash

The two teams combined for 14 runs in the 10th inning (yes, 14) in a wild finish at Truist Stadium on Wednesday night. But when it was all settled, the Greenville Drive (23-15, 49-55) scratched across nine (yes, nine) runs in the top of the 10th after blowing a three-run, late-inning lead; swiping a 12-8 victory from the Winston-Salem Dash (18-22, 49-55) and gaining a game on the first place South Division leaders, the Bowling Green Hot Rods.

The Drive entered the day two games out of first and with a win today and a Bowling Green loss to Asheville, the Drive are now only one game out of first place.

The Drive batted around in the 10th as newcomer Will Turner walked to leadoff of the inning before slapping a two-out, two-RBI triple later in the frame. Jhostynxon Garcia delivered two RBI singles in the same inning as well while Allan Castro chipped in an RBI-double, Bryan Gonzalez added an RBI-single and later scored on a wild pitch, and Andy Lugo brought a run home on a groundout to account for all nine runs and a 12-3 Drive lead. Garcia finished the night with four hits with four RBI on the night as Greenville's two through five hitters in the lineup accounted for eight total RBI.

Winston-Salem did not go quietly however, punishing reliever Zach Fogell for five runs on two homers in the bottom of the 10th to cut the lead to 12-8 before Fogell was able to pick up the final out with a strikeout to preserve the Drive victory.

Drive starter Yordanny Monegro, six days after leading the charge in the Drive’s no-hitter on August 1st, held the Dash to one run and two hits on the night while collecting six strikeouts. He would not allow a run until the fifth inning, ending his scoreless streak at 23 ⅓ innings.

By the fifth, the Drive had built a 3-0 lead thanks to RBI-knocks from Jhostynxon Garcia and Ronald Rosario, the former a two-run double and the latter a single to left field in the third inning.

Jacob Burke’s ground out resulted in the only run Monegro allowed as Caden Connor scored from third to cut the Drive lead to 3-1.

Greenville’s Bryce Bonnin spun the next two innings for the Drive , a hitless effort in which the only runner would come via a walk. Bonnin recorded two strikeouts as well before turning the ball over to Reidis Sena.

Sena loaded the bases in the eighth, though one runner would come off a fielding error. A wild pitch cut the lead to one before a groundout scored the tying run for the Dash. Sena pitched the ninth as well, working around a leadoff walk and a stolen base. After Loidel Chapelli swiped second, Sena picked off Chapelli as he took off for third to take the winning run off the base paths before punching out Colby Smelley to send the game to extras.

In the process of scoring nine runs in the top of the 10th, the Drive faced three Dash arms, chasing Zach Franklin and Bryce Collins out the game.

The Drive return to action on WThursday, August 8th for game three of the six-game series with the Dash. The series is tied, 1-1.