Rosario blasts walk-off homer to down Hot Rods 6-5 in extras

On Princess Day at Fluor Field, the Greenville Drive (14-10, 40-50) delivered a storybook ending in dramatic fashion, coming from behind twice to take a 6-5 victory over the Bowling Green Hot Rods (14-9, 50-39) in extras on the strength of Ronald Rosario’s two-run walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th, sealing a short-series victory and put the Drive a half-game back of first place in the South Atlantic League South Division.

Rosario, previously 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in the ballgame, barreled up a two-strike hanging offspeed pitch over the centerfield wall for his first walk-off homer of his career. The game winner marked the second straight home series with a walk-off hit in the series finale for the Drive.

Greenville faced a 5-4 deficit heading into the bottom of the 10th as the Hot Rods plated the go-ahead run with two outs while facing Reidis Sena. Sena had previously blown his save opportunity in the ninth, giving up a game-tying homer to Tre’ Morgan with one away.

The Drive nearly won the game in the bottom of the ninth with two outs as Miguel Bleis singled, sending Ahbram Liendo streaking for home from second base. He’d be tagged out on the throw from left field on a call that sent the Fluor Field crowd and Liendo into a frenzy as it appeared Liendo had beaten the tag on his slide.

Rosario’ homer erased any negative feelings as the ballpark erupted when the ball sailed over the wall. Rosario’s walk-off also overshadowed a one-man wrecking crew of day by Mikey Romero who was 4-for-5 on the day with two home runs and a double; the two home runs accounting for a 3-3 tie and a 4-3 lead for the Drive in the fifth and seventh innings respectively.

Bowling Green struck first on Sunday afternoon, making life tough for starter David Sandlin. Sandlin worked around a bases loaded jam in the first inning that included a one double and single and a two out walk, picking up a long fly ball out to the right field corner to preserve the early first inning deadlock.

Bowling Green took advantage of a Drive error in the second as Hunter Haas and Ryan Spikes singled, the latter’s single being overrun by center field Jhostynxon Garcia, allowing Haas to round third and score for a 1-0 lead.

The Hot Rods extended the lead in the third, rattling Sandlin with three straight hits, the last a double from Ryan Cermak that knocked in two runs to put the Drive in a 3-0 hole. Sandlin picked up a strikeout but would be pulled in favor of Jedixson Paez. Sandlin officially recorded 2 ⅓ innings allowing three runs on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

Paez effectively shutdown the Hot Rods in his 3 ⅔ innings of work, allowing one hit while ringing up two. He induced four groundouts and three fly outs to stifle the Hot Rods.

Trailing 3-0, Greenville found life in the third after starter Yoniel Curet dominated the first two innings. Curet needed just 10 pitches to strike out the side in the second, nearly recording an immaculate inning if not for a dropped foul tip.

Bryan Gonzalez reached on a throwing error and later scored from first on a Mikey Romero double to cut the lead to 3-1. Miguel Bleis drew the Drive within one with a half-swinging single to right field that had just enough air to land in the outfield to make it 3-2.

Romero knotted the game in the fifth with a first-pitch swinging homer that snuck out over the Pesky Porch in right field. He’d add his go ahead homer in the seventh to give Isaac Stebens a lead.

Stebens worked the seventh and eighth for the Drive, ringing up six in the process while allowing two hits. He escaped a hairy eighth inning, allowing a Morgan single and Cooper Kinney double with no outs. He’d fan the next three batters of the inning and do the same in the eighth.

The Drive return to action on Tuesday, July 23 at 7:00 p.m. at L.P. Frans Stadium for the start of a six-game series with the Hickory Crawdads, affiliate of the Texas Rangers.