7 days ago
Drive sweep doubleheader against Jersey Shore
GREENVILLE, S.C. — A five-run first inning and six strong innings from Michael Sansone powered the Greenville Drive (24–25) to a 6–1 victory over the Jersey Shore Blue Claws (17–31) in the second game of Friday's doubleheader at Fluor Field.
Greenville won the first of two seven inning contests behind Hudson White's two home runs, his second a two-run blast that snapped a 4-4 tie in the fifth inning, en route to a 6-4 win.
Sansone (1–0), making his first start in front of the home crowd since joining the Drive, scattered three hits and allowed only one run in six innings while striking out six and walking two. The left-hander was in control from the outset after allowing a first-inning run, retiring 14 of the final 18 batters he faced.
Jersey Shore grabbed a quick 1–0 lead in the top of the first after Carson DeMartini singled, advanced on a balk, and scored on Dylan Campbell's RBI single. But that early advantage evaporated quickly.
Greenville sent nine men to the plate in the home half, roughing up Jersey Shore starter Mavis Graves (2–4) for five runs—three earned—on four hits in just two-thirds of an inning. With two outs and runners on first and second, Red Sox No. 24 Prospect Nazzan Zanetello ripped an RBI double down the left-field line to tie the game. Brooks Brannon followed with a two-run double to the right-field corner, and an error by first baseman Luke Davis allowed another run to cross. Andy Lugo capped the rally with a double to the right-center gap to make it 5–1.
Graves exited after facing nine batters, and the BlueClaws never recovered.
Brannon finished 2-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, and two runs scored, while Zanetello, Lugo, and Franklin Arias each added RBI hits. Arias plated Greenville's final run in the fifth with a two-out RBI single to score Brannon.
The Drive bullpen made sure the lead held. Right-hander Cooper Adams pitched a clean seventh to seal the win, inducing three consecutive groundouts to end it.
Jersey Shore managed just three hits—all singles—and left only three runners on base. Campbell's first-inning knock accounted for the BlueClaws' lone RBI. Sansone and Adams combined to retire the final seven batters in order.
The win in game two also game the Drive their first series win since the second series of the season against Winston-Salem in early April.
The teams will continue their six-game series Saturday at Fluor Field with first pitch scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
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