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GREENVILLE (Greenville Drive) — The Greenville Drive nearly erased a seven-run deficit in the ninth inning Saturday night, but the comeback bid stopped just short in a 10-8 loss to the Asheville Tourists at Fluor Field.
Greenville (19-29) trailed by seven entering the bottom of the ninth before sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring five runs on one hit, three walks, three hit batters, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly. The rally brought the potential tying run to the plate, but Asheville reliever Conor Steinbaugh entered with the bases loaded and no outs and limited the damage enough to preserve the Tourists’ win.
With the loss, the series moved even at two games apiece.
Asheville (11-38) built the early cushion with a six-run second inning and added three more in the fifth, taking advantage of three Greenville errors and 11 hits. The Tourists finished 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stole six bases.
Greenville struck first after Asheville opened the game with a run on Caden Powell’s solo homer to left-center field in the top of the first. Justin Gonzales reached on an error to begin the bottom half before Enddy Azocar ripped a triple through the right side to score him. Henry Godbout followed with an RBI groundout, bringing Azocar home and giving the Drive a 2-1 lead.
The advantage was short-lived.
Asheville answered with its biggest inning of the night in the second. Kyle Walker doubled, John Garcia singled and Zach Daudet followed with another single to load the bases. Mason Lytle reached on a force play that, coupled with a throwing error, allowed two runs to score. Justin Thomas Jr. later drove a triple to center field that plated Lytle, and a fielding error allowed Thomas to score on the play. Ethan Frey doubled, Powell walked and Jack Moss singled to center to drive in two more runs, pushing Asheville ahead 7-2.
The Drive got one run back in the fourth when Luke Heyman tripled to center and Mason White delivered a two-out RBI single to make it 7-3.
Asheville stretched the lead again in the fifth. Moss opened the inning with a double, Walker walked and both runners moved up on stolen bases. Garcia reached on an error that brought in two runs, then Daudet grounded out to score Garcia and make it 10-3.
From there, Greenville’s bullpen gave the Drive a chance to hang around. Tyler Uberstine worked out of trouble in the sixth, Osvaldo Berrios followed with 2 1/3 hitless innings and Hudson White tossed a scoreless ninth. Berrios stranded three inherited runners in the sixth and struck out two.
That set up Greenville’s late push.
Jack Winnay opened the ninth with a walk against Joan Ogando and moved to second on defensive indifference. White walked, Yophery Rodriguez walked and Antonio Anderson was hit by a pitch to force in Winnay. Gonzales followed with an RBI single to center, cutting the deficit to 10-5.
Azocar was then hit by a pitch to bring in another run, and a passed ball allowed Anderson to score. Godbout was hit by a pitch to reload the bases, forcing Asheville to bring in Steinbaugh.
Yoeilin Cespedes lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Gonzales and pull Greenville within 10-8. Heyman followed with a flyout to right that moved Azocar to third, but Steinbaugh got Winnay to fly out to center to end the game.
Azocar finished 2-for-4 with a triple, two RBIs and a run scored. Heyman went 2-for-5 with a triple and a run. Gonzales scored twice and drove in a run, while White reached three times and added an RBI.
Powell led Asheville with a homer, two walks and two runs scored. Moss went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs, while Walker added two hits and two runs.
Nolan DeVos earned the win for Asheville, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits over five innings. Alex Bouchard took the loss for Greenville after allowing seven runs on seven hits in 1 2/3 innings. Steinbaugh earned his first save.
The teams will close the series Sunday at Fluor Field.
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