Castro homers, Romero knocks pair of triples as Mullins Ks nine in Drive’s 8-2 victory over Hickory
Allan Castro sent a screaming three-run homer over the bullpens in the fifth, Mikey Romero hit a pair of triples, the latter scoring two, and Hayden Mullins struck out nine in four innings of work as the Greenville Drive (2-2, 28-42) dispatched the Hickory Crawdads (1-3, 29-41) 8-2 in the
Allan Castro sent a screaming three-run homer over the bullpens in the fifth, Mikey Romero hit a pair of triples, the latter scoring two, and Hayden Mullins struck out nine in four innings of work as the Greenville Drive (2-2, 28-42) dispatched the Hickory Crawdads (1-3, 29-41) 8-2 in the series opener on Tuesday at Fluor Field.
Romero’s pair of triples were just two of four three-baggers the Drive knocked on the night, as Luis Ravelo and Ahbram Liendo slapped back-to-back triples in the fifth. Miguel Bleis, the Boston Red Sox no. four prospect, added a sac-fly in the first while Ronald Rosario chipped in an RBI-single in the seventh.
Before Castro knocked his three-run homer in the fifth, the game belonged to Mullins and Crawdads’ starter D.J. McCarty. McCarty held the Drive to just two hits on the night through four innings, striking out three in the process. He’d ultimately go five innings, allowing five runs on five hits with five strikeouts.
The start marked Mullins’ fourth game of the year with at least eight strikeouts. His ERA across five starts in June sits at 2.45. He exited the night after the fourth, allowing just two hits and one run with a walk; the only blemish coming on a Sebastian Walcott solo homer in the second.
Ravelo and Liendo led off with triples in the fifth, the latter scoring Ravelo to put the Drive in front 2-1. Liendo seemed destined to stay put at third after Romero and Bryan Gonzalez struck out. But Bleis would be hit by a pitch to put two on for Castro who barreled up the fourth pitch he saw over the bullpens for a 5-1 lead that put the game out of reach.
Nathan Landry picked up his second win of the season, tossing two scoreless for the Drive, allowing two hits while picking up three strikeouts. Adam Smith tossed two innings, allowing three hits with a solo homer to Luis Mieses in the eighth while ringing up one. Mieses’ homer cut the lead to 6-2 before Romero answered with his second triple into the right field corner scoring Ravelo and Gonzalez to make it 8-2.
Reidis Sena finished the night for the Drive on the mound, striking out the side to preserve the Drive’s 8-2 victory. On the night, the quartet of pitchers for the Drive struckout 16 Crawdads’ hitters.
The Drive return to action on Wednesday, June 26th at Fluor Field for game two of the six-game homestand with Hickory Crawdads. The Drive hold a 1-0 lead in the series.