Drive routed by Hickory 11-4 in series finale

The Hickory Crawdads (4-5, 32-43) met relievers Adam Smith and Nathan Landry with a nine-run barrage in the final two frames, erasing a 3-2 deficit to defeat the Greenville Drive (4-5, 30-45) 11-4 Sunday at Fluor Field in a weather shortened game.

Greenville and Hickory took the field at 5:05 p.m. on Sunday, after a two-hour weather delay, forcing the game to become a seven-inning game instead of the regularly scheduled nine-inning game.

Bryan Gonzalez knocked a two-run homer in the second inning, and a solo shot in the ninth, his 14th and 15th of the season, while Cutter Coffey chipped in an RBI-double in the third. Mikey Romero, Miguel Bleis, and Jhostynxon Garcia chipped in the only other base knocks for the Drive.

Juan Chacon drew a two-out walk in the second setting up Gonzalez’s first homer, a hard liner over the right field wall that right fielder Jayce Easley nearly robbed. Coffey boosted the lead to 3-0 with a rolling double into the left field gap that scored Miguel Bleis from first after he singled the at-bat prior.

Starter Connelly Early tossed four shutout innings for the Drive, before exiting without recording an out in the fifth. Hickory was able to crack the lefty, picking up back-to-back walks to lead off the inning before back-to-back singles from Yeison Morrobel and Quincy Scott cut the lead to 3-2.

Adam Smith took over for Early on the mound, inducing a double play and a ground out to prevent the Crawdads from knotting the game up. His second inning of work would not be as kind.

Yosy Galan reached on a fielding error to lead off the inning, before Jesus Moreno singled and Benjamin Blackwell walked to load the bases. Jayce Easley and Cameron Cauley chipped in RBI singles and Yeison Morrobel clapped a double to right field, putting the Crawdads up 7-3.

Smith picked up the final three outs but again faced trouble in the seventh, giving up two walks before being pulled for Nathan Landry out of the bullpen. The lefty secured a strikeout before giving up a two-RBI single to Easley to boost the lead to 9-3. Quincy Scott’s two-out RBI-double lifted the lead to 11-3.

Gonzalez barreled up his second homer on the second pitch of the ninth inning, sending it to the opposite field again, this one clearing the wall without trouble.

Romero was hit with a pitch in the ankle/foot with two away in the ninth and fell to the ground. He’d be helped off the field and Eduardo Lopez replaced him as the pinch runner at first.

The Drive return to action on Monday, July 1st in Asheville, NC for the start of a six-game split series with the Asheville Tourists, affiliate of the Houston Astros. Games one-three will be played at McCormick Field with games four-six games at Fluor Field.