Dash vs. Greenville: Game #50 Preview
Winston-Salem Dash (25–24) vs. Greenville Drive (18–31)
Saturday, June 4–6 p.m.
Truist Stadium (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Game 48 and 49 Recap
The Winston-Salem Dash swept both games of a doubleheader against Greenville, pushing their winning streak against the Drive to nine games.
After Thursday night’s game was postponed due to rain, Greenville came out hot to start in the top of the third inning.
Ricardo Cubillan drew a leadoff walk and then stole second base to put himself in scoring position. Later in the inning with two outs, Matt Lugo doubled into the left-field corner to plate Cubillan with the game’s first run. The very next batter Nick Northcut fell behind 0–2 in the count, before he cracked a two-run home run over the left-field wall to put Greenville ahead 3–0.
The Drive got the bats rolling again in the fourth, beginning with a leadoff home run for Nick Decker**.* After a couple of outs, Cubillan reached base on a single before a *Tyler McDonough** double brought him home, and the Drive pulled ahead 5–0.
Winston-Salem found a response in the home half of the fourth. Oscar Colas picked up a bloop single with one out ahead of Bryan Ramos. The Dash third baseman took strike one, then deposited the next offering over the high wall in center field. That two-run home run cut the deficit to 5–2, but Winston-Salem wasn’t done yet. A Luis Mieses walk and a Tyler Osik single put two men aboard for Harvin Mendoza**.** He rose to the occasion, going after the first pitch and knocking it into short right field to score Mieses from second base, and further cut into the Drive lead.
After a scoreless top half for Greenville, the Dash's comeback efforts continued in the bottom of the fifth inning. Oscar Colas picked up a one-out single, followed by a one-out walk from Ramos. Then, Tyler Osik smoked a double off the base of the wall in centerfield to drive in both Colas and Ramos, tying the game at 5–5.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Dash got back-to-back-to-back singles from
Ivan Gonzalez**,** Oscar Colas, and Bryan Ramos. That brought Mieses up with the bases loaded, he looked at a first-pitch strike, then changed the game with a towering grand slam out towards the Foothills Flight Deck in beyond the seats in right field. That put the Dash up 9–5, then Tyler Osik went back-to-back with Mieses on a solo home run, giving the Dash a 10–5 lead.
A scoreless eighth inning from Cooper Bradford and the same in the ninth from Vince Vannelle gave the Dash a 10–5 win in game one of a double header. Bradford was the official winner, Vannelle got the save, and Ryan Zeferjahn took the loss.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Winston-Salem manufactured a run in the bottom of the first. Duke Ellis walked, stole second base, then was given third base on a balk.
Moises Castillo was able to drive in Ellis with a ground out, as the Dash took a 1–0 lead.
Winston-Salem was able to push more runs across in the third inning, with a little good fortune.
Jason Matthews singled to open the frame, then Colas singled with two outs. A balk pushed them up 90 feet apiece before Bryan Ramos lifted a fly ball down the right-field line. A miscommunication in the Drive defense allowed that ball to drop in safely, and both Matthews and Colas scored.
Armed with a 3–0 lead now, Andrew Dalquist continued to stifle a potent Greenville lineup. The young right-hander worked six scoreless innings, allowing four base hits, and one walk while striking out four Drive batters. Isaiah Carranza relieved him for the seventh inning, and he also fired a scoreless inning to lock down a 3–0 Dash win in seven innings. Dalquist got the win, Carranza earned a save, and Wyatt Olds was the losing pitcher.
DRIVE DAZED AGAINST DASH
Since winning their first meeting of the year, the Drive have had no answer for the Dash, losing nine straight against Winston-Salem. They’ve come within one run of beating Winston-Salem three times, with two of them being in the first two games of this series.
WINSTON-SALEM WINNING
With the 10–5 and 3–0 win in the doubleheader yesterday, the Dash have put together a four-game winning streak. The streak is the second-longest for Winston-Salem this season and the longest since winning three straight against Asheville from April 28-April 30.
DASH DELIGHT AT HOME
With the two wins to close the series against Asheville and the four wins to open the series against Greenville, Winston-Salem has put together a six-game winning streak at home, their longest of the season thus far.
PREVENTATIVE PITCHING
With the shutout in game 2 of the doubleheader yesterday, the Dash have now brought their total for the year to two, with both shutouts coming in the current series against Greenville. The first of which came on Wednesday in the 1–0 win for Winston-Salem.
MIKEL TAKES THE MOUND
Jordan Mikel will start game 5 of the series for the Dash. In his last outing, he threw 4.2 innings against Hickory on May 29. He struck out four batters while giving up five hits, allowing just one run which was the result of a home run.
First pitch is slated for 6:00 p.m.
