Wehunt strikeouts nine, holds Asheville hitless through five, but Drive fall 3-1 to Asheville

Blake Wehunt turned in five hitless and scoreless innings for the Greenville Drive (7-7, 33-47) on Friday night and Miguel Bleis knocked his first career High-A homer, but the Asheville Tourists (7-6, 35-42) capitalized on Wehunt’s absence after the fifth, scoring three runs in the seventh enroute to defeating the Drive 3-1 at Fluor Field.

The only two base runners Wehunt allowed in his dominant performance came via a throwing error by Cutter Coffey on a ground ball hit to him at shortstop and a passed ball on a swinging strikeout from Austin Deming who made it to first before catcher Enderso Lira could recover the ball.

Wehunt struck out nine on the night.

Jose Guedez, who dominated the Drive in two previous starts this season, continued to do so Friday night in the early going, holding the Drive hitless and scoreless through his first three innings of work. Eduardo Lopez reached on a walk to account for the only baserunner Guedez allowed.

Entering Friday Guedez held the Drive to a .091 average, allowing just three hits and two runs, Coffey accounting for one homer back June 12th. But that changed in the fourth.

Miguel Bleis, whose first month in Greenville has been so-so, homered on the second pitch of his at-bat, driving a hanging breaking ball 395 feet over the left center field wall. The Drive stranded Cutter Coffey and Allan Castro at second and third respectively, as Juan Chacon and Ahbram Linedo struck out, preventing any further damage.

Adam Smith relieved Wehunt and after extending the hitless streak through the sixth, the Tourists finally cracked him to the tune of three runs in the seventh. Austin Deming doubled to right and made it home on a John Garcia RBI-single. Anthony Sherwin notched his fourth homer of the season with a screaming fly ball over the right field wall to put the Tourists up 3-1.

Smith exited the night after at the seventh officially allowing thre runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.

Isaac Stebens relieved Smith, spinning two innings allowing four hits with three strikeouts as he kept the game from slipping away, working out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth.

Greenville ultimately left seven on base on the night, going down in the ninth with the tying run at the plate as Liendo and Lopez went down on strikeouts with Chacon at first. The Drive picked up a lone hit after fifth on Chacon's single in the bottom of the ninth.

The Drive return to action on Saturday, July 6th at Fluor Field for the finale of the six-game split series with the Tourists with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m. The Drive hold a 3-2 lead in the series.