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GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville Drive did not need a base hit in the 10th inning Thursday night. They just needed Natanael Yuten’s legs, a productive out and one pitch to skip away.
Yuten scored from third base on a wild pitch by Asheville reliever Joan Ogando with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, lifting the Drive to a 3-2 walk-off win over the Asheville Tourists at Fluor Field at the West End.
The win gave Greenville (19-27) its third straight victory to open the six-game series against Asheville (9-38), moving the Drive ahead 3-0 in the set.
Brandon Neely (2-2) earned the win after working a clean top of the 10th, stranding automatic runner Alejandro Nunez at second base. Neely needed just seven pitches, all strikes, to finish the frame. He struck out John Garcia looking, induced a groundout from Freuddy Batista and got Zach Daudet to line out to Isaiah Jackson in center field to keep the game tied.
Greenville immediately took advantage in the bottom half. Yuten began the inning at second base and Henry Godbout was hit by a pitch, putting two aboard against Ogando. Gerardo Rodriguez then lifted a fly ball to right field, allowing Yuten to tag and move to third. Moments later, Ogando’s wild pitch brought Yuten home with the winning run.
Ogando (1-6) took the loss after allowing one unearned run without recording a hit in one-third of an inning.
The finish capped a game defined by pitching, missed opportunities and small margins. The two teams combined for just eight hits, with Greenville collecting four and Asheville managing four. The Drive went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, while the Tourists finished 0-for-6, but Greenville capitalized on Asheville’s lone error and the extra-inning mistake to pull out the win.
Asheville struck first in the second inning when Caden Powell jumped on the first pitch he saw from Greenville starter Devin Futrell and drove it over the wall in right-center field. The solo homer, Powell’s third of the season, gave the Tourists a 1-0 lead.
Greenville answered in the third with a manufactured run. Godbout doubled to left-center field with one out, and Gerardo Rodriguez followed with a walk. Both runners advanced on a balk by Asheville starter Cole Hertzler, putting two in scoring position for Luke Heyman. Heyman delivered with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Godbout and tying the game at 1-1.
The Tourists moved back in front in the fourth on another solo shot. Ethan Frey connected on a 2-1 pitch from Futrell and sent it out to center field for his fifth homer of the year, putting Asheville ahead 2-1.
Futrell settled in around the two solo home runs and gave the Drive a strong start. The left-hander worked five innings, allowing two runs on three hits without issuing a walk. He struck out six and threw 50 of his 75 pitches for strikes.
Ben Hansen took over in the sixth and kept Greenville within reach. Hansen allowed just one hit across four scoreless innings, walking one and striking out three. He also worked around two hit batters and erased a potential threat in the sixth when Heyman threw out Justin Thomas Jr. trying to steal second base.
The Drive tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. After Hertzler struck out the first two hitters of the inning, Asheville turned to Conor Steinbaugh out of the bullpen. Mason White greeted him with a double to left-center field, and Freili Encarnacion followed with a ground ball that was thrown away by shortstop Kyle Walker. White scored on the error, tying the game at 2-2.
From there, the bullpens took over.
Hansen retired Asheville in order in the eighth and worked through a tense ninth after Frey drew a leadoff walk. Chase Call moved Frey to second with a groundout, but Hansen got Powell to pop out and struck out Nunez on a foul tip to end the inning.
Greenville had a chance in the ninth after Encarnacion singled to right field to start the inning, but Yophery Rodriguez grounded into a double play and Yuten struck out to send the game to extras.
Encarnacion led the Drive offensively, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Godbout reached base four times, finishing 1-for-1 with a double, two walks, two hit-by-pitches and two runs scored. White added a double and scored the tying run in the sixth.
For Asheville, Frey supplied most of the offense, going 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, a walk and an RBI. Powell added the Tourists’ other run with his second-inning homer.
Hertzler held Greenville to one run on two hits over 5 2/3 innings, walking four and striking out eight. Steinbaugh was charged with a blown save after allowing one unearned run in 1 1/3 innings. Colby Langford followed with two scoreless innings before Ogando entered in the 10th.
The Drive pitching staff combined to allow just two runs on four hits while striking out 10 and walking one. Greenville played error-free behind Futrell, Hansen and Neely.
Greenville and Asheville continue the six-game series Friday at Fluor Field.
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