Gladney Homers Twice to Lead Dash Past Drive, 8-5

WINSTON-SALEM, NC (August 17th, 2023) – The Winston-Salem Dash continued attacking early against the Greenville Drive with DJ Gladney smacking two homers, leading Winston-Salem to a game three win, 8-5, Thursday night at Truist Stadium in front of 4,510 fans.

After a quick top of the first inning, the Winston-Salem (51-55) offense struck early. In the bottom of the first, Loidel Chapelli wasted no time, lacing a double to right center putting a man in scoring position. Next batter, Brooks Baldwin, swung at the first pitch he saw and doubled driving home Chapelli making it 1-0. The Dash added two more runs on one swing of the bat. DJ Gladney, who hit a three-run homer on Wednesday, laced his 17th homer of the year to left center giving Winston-Salem a 3-0 lead.

Greenville (56-55) got a run back in the top of the second, but the Dash answered back in the bottom of the frame. Andy Atwood lined a double down the left field line to open the inning and came home to score on a single from Baldwin building the lead to three runs again, 4-1.

Dash starter Josimar Cousin sat down the Drive in order in the top of the third, and Winston-Salem made it a four-run game on a RBI groundout and led 5-1 after three innings. Cousin continued to spray around hits in the middle innings, allowing a run in the fifth, but got through a season long six innings. The Cuba native finished the night allowing two runs and striking out five, leaving with a 5-2 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Chapelli doubled to lead off an inning for the second time, and scored on an error, with Winston-Salem taking a 6-2 lead into the final three innings.

Guillermo Quiroz brought in lefty Brooks Gosswein in the seventh and worked around a leadoff walk to keep the four run lead intact. The Drive cut into the lead against the southpaw in eighth, plating two runs, cutting the Dash lead down to two, 6-4.

The two-run lead didn't last for long. With two outs and a runner on, Gladney got a breaking ball over the heart of the plate and blasted his second homer of the game over the wall in right center, doubling the Winston-Salem lead, 8-4.

The Drive got a run back in the ninth, but Winston-Salem held on to take game three, 8-5, ensuring at least a split in the six-game series.

Gladney finished the night 2-for-4 with the two homers and four RBI, while Baldwin picked up a three-hit night on the way to the win. Cousin (1-1) got the victory on the mound while Drive starter Noah Song (0-1) was tabbed with the loss.

Winston-Salem and Greenville meet for game four on Friday. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. from Truist Stadium.