Drive bats deliver eight-run seventh for comeback victory, 11-7

Troye shuts door on Dash; K’s 7 while allowing one hit

The Greenville Drive (13-16) stunned the league leading Winston-Salem Dash (20-8) with an eight-run seventh inning, effectively wiping out a 7-3 deficit, stealing a win in front of a raucous Fluor Field Thursday night crowd. It was a tale of two halves for the Drive as they were effectively silenced by Dash starter Kohl Simas through the first five innings as he allowed only one run which came in the fourth inning. But the bats refused to stay quiet as a patient and relentless Drive batting order finally found its groove in the sixth and seventh innings.

Four Drive batters recorded multi-hit games, including Eddinson Paulino who chipped in a pair of doubles and RBIs while also accounting for three runs himself. The Drive also received an inspired performance from reliever, Christopher Troye who came on in relief of Jordan DiValerio in the sixth inning as DiValerio exited the game with some apparent discomfort. Troye struck out seven of the 10 batters he faced, keeping the Drive momentum alive and securing the game in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.

Though the Drive emerged victorious thanks to an explosive seventh inning, things did not go the Drive’s way early.

Drive starter Juan Daniel Encarnacion struggled from the start, ultimately throwing 75 pitches in his three innings of work, allowing five runs on four hits walking three while collecting four strikeouts. A combination of hits and wild pitches mixed into the Dash’s early 5-0 lead while Simas spun three-scoreless and hitless innings to start the game, stifling Drive batters.

Drive finally mustered a hit in the fourth as Paulino doubled, followed by a Blaze Jordan single, and a walk to Bryan Gonzalez. With the bases full, Tyler Miller sent a ball deep to center field that was caught just short of the warning track, allowing Paulino to score to get the Drive on the board. Miguel Ugueto would ground into a double play on the ensuing at-bat stopping the Drive momentum and keeping the game at 5-1.

Jordan DiValerio relieved Encarnacion spinning two innings before leaving with some discomfort, forcing Christopher Troye to come on in relief. DiValerio finished the night allowing two runs on two hits.

Both teams scratched across a pair of runs in their respective halves of the sixth inning bringing the game to 7-3. The Drive’s pair were plated thanks to an RBI single from Jordan and a sacrifice fly to center off the bat of Eduardo Lopez.

But the Drive wouldn’t go quietly into the night as they exploded for eight runs in the seventh.

With two on and no outs, Paulino ripped a grounder down the right field line to plate two runners. A Gonzalez RBI single drew the game to within one before a Miller pop-fly evaded the the shortstop and left fielder and dropped into left field allowing a runner to cross, knotting the game at 7-7.

Eduardo Lopez would slash a double to the left field corner to give the Drive a 8-7 lead as Gonzalez scored. Alex Erro slapped a single up the middle on the ensuing at-bat scoring two to make it 10-7. A balk by pitcher Ernesto Jaquez would plate Erro later in the inning, putting the Drive up 11-7.

Joey Stock would finish off the Dash in the ninth, allowing one hit, and a walk while striking out one to secure the Drive victory, 11-7.

The Drive (Boston Red Sox) and Winston-Salem Dash (Chicago White Sox) return to action tomorrow, May 12 at 7 p.m. for game four of the six-game series at Fluor Field. The Dash currently hold 2-1 lead in the series.