Greenville Sweeps Twin Bill Over Rome

Rome, G.A. – Greenville jumped out to an early lead in game one and put the Braves away late for an 8-1 victory, and then Stephen Scott plated the lone run of the second game while four Drive pitchers combined for a two-hit shutout to win 1-0 and sweep the doubleheader over the Braves Wednesday night at State Mutual Stadium.

The Drive have now won eight games in-a-row over Rome dating back to their six-game sweep at Fluor Field from August 3-8.

Over the 14 innings, Greenville’s pitching staff relented just six base hits.

Game 1

Nick Sogard hit a grand slam, Elih Marrero drove in three runs and Jay Groome fired 6.0 innings of one run ball to beat Rome in game one, 8-1.

The Drive combined for 10 hits and a grand slam. Sogard led the way with a 2-for-4 effort, including four RBI. Marrero went 2-for-2 with a sac fly and three RBI. Dom D’Alessandro drove in the other run on an RBI single.

Stephen Scott extended his hitting streak to 15 with a single.

Groome earned the win, his second of the year, and allowed four hits and two walks with four strikeouts over his 6.0 innings of work. Cody Scroggins finished the game with a perfect seventh. He fanned two.

Jake McSteen took the loss after relenting three runs, one earned, over 4.0 innings of work.

Greenville plated its first run in the second inning. With one out, Wil Dalton singled. A groundout pushed Dalton to second with two outs. The next batter, Marrero, lined an RBI single to right to give the away team a 1-0 lead.

The Drive’s lead expanded to 3-0 in the top of the fourth inning. The first two hitters of the frame were retired, however, Scott reached on a passed ball after a strikeout that would have been the third out. He moved up to second on a Dalton walk. Then D’Alessandro roped an RBI single to left, putting runners at first and second. Marrero followed that with his second RBI single of the contest.

Rome used a Jesse Franklin RBI double in the bottom of the fourth inning to plate their only run of the game.

The Drive broke the game open an inning later, taking an 8-1 lead. Scott stroked a one-out single to get things started. Back-to-back walks by D’Alessandro and Dalton loaded the bases. Marrero then drove in his third run of the game on a sac fly to left. A walk by Christian Koss loaded the bases again. Sogard then stepped into the box and belted a grand slam—his second slam in five days.

Game 2

Scott drove in the lone run of the game to extend his hitting streak to 16 games while Jose Espada, Brendan Cellucci, Brendan Nail and Zach Bryant combined for a two-hit shutout for a 1-0 victory.

Nail picked up the win in relief after tossing 2.0 perfect innings with four punchouts. Bryant earned the save, tossing 1.0 innings with two punchouts. Cellucci pitched 1.0 inning in relief and fanned two.

Espada started for the Drive and hurled 3.0 innings. He surrendered one hit and three walks with five strikeouts.

Tanner Gordon was charged with the loss. He allowed the one run over 6.0 innings.

Offensively Greenville managed just three hits, two doubles, all by the to three spots in the batting order. Koss and Brandon Howlett both doubled while Scott singled.

The Drive scored the only run of the contest in the top of the third inning. With two outs, Koss stung a double down the left field line. The next batter, Scott, lined an RBI single to right, plating Koss.

Game three is scheduled for 7:00 PM Thursday night at State Mutual Stadium. The Drive are set to start Chase Shugart while the Braves are slatted to throw Darius Vines.