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GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville Drive continued their offensive surge Wednesday afternoon at Fluor Field, using a pair of 409-foot home runs and another balanced day at the plate to beat the Asheville Tourists, 11-5, in the second game of a six-game series.
Greenville (18-27) finished with 13 hits and drew eight walks, backing up Tuesday’s 10-run performance with another double-digit scoring effort to take a 2-0 lead in the series against Asheville (9-37). Through the first two games of the set, the Drive have scored 21 runs on 25 hits.
Ronny Hernandez led the charge, going 3 for 4 with a double, a home run, a walk and five RBIs. Enddy Azocar added a grand slam in the seventh inning, his first home run of the season, and finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs and a walk.
Marcus Phillips got the start for Greenville and struck out four over 2 2/3 innings. Phillips worked around a first-inning walk and picked up three strikeouts through the first two frames before the Drive offense gave him an early cushion.
Greenville broke through in the second inning after Yoeilin Cespedes opened the frame with a single. Though Cespedes was caught stealing, Jack Winnay drew a walk and Mason White followed with another free pass to put two aboard. Yophery Rodriguez then doubled to right field, scoring Winnay for the game’s first run. Hernandez followed with a two-run double to left, bringing home White and Rodriguez to give the Drive a 3-0 lead.
Asheville answered in the third, using three hits and two walks to jump ahead. Kyle Walker singled, Justin Thomas Jr. walked and Ethan Frey drove both in with a double to right-center. Chase Call followed with an RBI double, and after a wild pitch moved him to third, Mason Lytle lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to put the Tourists in front, 4-3.
P.J. Labriola entered from the bullpen with two outs in the third and limited the damage, getting Zach Daudet to line out to right field. Labriola went on to throw 1 1/3 scoreless innings and earned the win, improving to 4-2.
The Drive reclaimed the lead in the fourth. White singled to right and Rodriguez followed with a single of his own, putting runners on the corners with one out. Hernandez then jumped on a 1-0 pitch from Luis Rodriguez and drove it 409 feet to center field for a three-run homer, putting Greenville back ahead, 6-4.
Greenville added another run in the sixth without a hit. Hernandez walked, Antonio Anderson reached on a fielder’s choice, Azocar walked and Henry Godbout drew another walk to load the bases. Cespedes followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Anderson and stretching the lead to 7-4.
Asheville trimmed the deficit in the seventh when Thomas Jr. singled, stole second and scored on Frey’s second double of the day, making it 7-5. Matt McShane entered with one out and Frey at second, and after Frey stole third, McShane struck out Call and induced a lineout from Caden Powell to strand the tying run at the plate.
The Drive put the game away in the bottom half. Rodriguez walked with two outs, Hernandez singled and Anderson drew another walk to load the bases for Azocar. On a 1-0 pitch from Yeriel Santos, Azocar launched a grand slam over the Green Monster in left field, matching Hernandez’s 409-foot blast and pushing Greenville’s lead to 11-5.
The bottom third of the Drive order helped set the tone throughout the afternoon. White went 3 for 4 with two runs and a walk, Rodriguez finished 2 for 4 with a double, three runs, an RBI and a walk, and Hernandez reached base four times while driving in five.
Osvaldo Berrios bridged the middle innings for Greenville, allowing one run over 2 1/3 innings with three strikeouts. McShane closed it out with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out four to earn his third save of the season.
Frey led Asheville offensively, going 2 for 3 with two doubles, a walk and three RBIs. Luis Rodriguez took the loss for the Tourists after allowing six runs on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings.
The Drive and Tourists continue the six-game series Thursday night at Fluor Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
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