Drive take Sunday finale with 3-2 victory over Emperors

Hudson White, Juan Chacon, and Andy Lugo chipped in an RBI a piece in the fourth, and the Greenville Drive (33-21, 59-61) bullpen allowed one hit through the final four innings to down the Rome Emperors (21-31, 57-59) 3-2 on Sunday at Fluor Field marking the Drive’s fourth win in a row and their fifth total in the series.

The comeback victory was crucial to the Drive’s playoff hopes as the division-leading Bowling Green Hot Rods fell 5-4 to the Hickory Crawdads earlier in the day putting the Drive 1.5 games out of first place with six-games against the Hot Rods on tap next week – a likely playoff-deciding series for both teams.

Greenville fell behind 2-0 early as EJ Exposition deposited solo homers off starter Elmer Rodriguez in the second and fourth innings respectively. Rodriguez tossed five frames for the Drive, allowing four hits and one walk with four strikeouts.

The Drive were stifled by Rome’s Riley Frey through three innings, before finally cracking the lefty in the fourth. Zach Ehrhard reached on a fielding error by Joe Olsavsky to kick start the inning before Miguel Bleis and Bryan Gonzalez singled to load the bases.

White brought in Ehrhard on a groundout to third before Chacon rifled a line drive to center to bring home Bleis and Lugo picked up an infield single to Olsavsky to score Gonzalez to put the Drive in front for good.

Jeremy Wu-Yelland spun a lone perfect inning with two strikeouts before turning the ball over Adam Smith. Smith stifled the Emperors over two frames, allowing a hit while picking up a strike out.

Gabriel Jackson closed out the series for the Drive with a perfect inning in the ninth, needing jst 13 pitches, picking up groundout, strikeout, and a fly out to preserve the win and earn his third save of the season.

The Drive return to action on Tuesday, August 27th for the start of a six-game series with the division-leading Bowling Green Hot Rods, affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.