A new locale couldn’t bring a different result for the Greenville Drive on Saturday night, as the Charleston RiverDogs jumped to an early lead and never looked back in a 7-2 victory in the series opener.
Three runs for the RiverDogs in the second inning against Dedgar Jimenez (5-7) was all that was necessary. Three consecutive singles started the frame, with the third, from Isaias Tejeda, driving in a pair. Tejeda would come in on an RBI groundout by Collin Slaybaugh.
The Drive (12-17, 50-49) would see Charleston’s lead extended to 5-0 in the third inning thanks to an RBI triple by Jorge Mateo and an RBI single by Bo Thompson.
Matt Wotherspoon (3-1) got the win for the RiverDogs after striking out nine Drive hitters over six innings while allowing just two runs. Conner Kendrick notched his first save by keeping the Drive off the board over the final three innings.
Both Drive runs were plated in the fifth inning. A single from Bryan Hudson began the frame, and he came home on an RBI single from Danny Mars. After Mars stole second base, Michael Chavis singled him in.
RBI hits in the sixth by Alexander Palma and the seventh by Vicente Conde tacked on to Charleston’s lead.
Hudson had two hits for the Drive on the night. Thompson paced the Charleston offense with a three-hit game, and Conde, Palma and Tejeda all came up with two hits.
(Article written by Cameron White of the Greenville Drive.)
(Photo by Steve Wallace via Greenville Drive.)