Greenville Drive Battles in Extra Innings; RidgeYaks Shine in Debut

The Greenville Drive put up a valiant effort in their season opener, rallying late against the Greensboro Grasshoppers before ultimately succumbing 9-5 in 11 innings on Thursday night. After being held scoreless for the first eight frames, the Drive’s Freili Encarnacion ignited the crowd with a thrilling two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, leveling the game at 3-3 and showcasing his impressive power.

Both teams exchanged runs in the tenth, with the Drive tying things up thanks to a balk. However, the Grasshoppers seized control in the eleventh, exploding for five runs to secure the victory. On the mound, spring training standout Juan Valera made an impressive start, striking out seven batters over 3 1/3 innings while allowing two runs on just two hits. Reliever Joey Gartrell was solid in relief, tossing 2 1/3 shutout innings, but the loss ultimately fell to Jay Allmer, who surrendered four runs (two earned) in the tenth and eleventh innings. Notably, third baseman Jack Winnay stood out for the Drive with a multi-hit performance.

Looking ahead, Kyson Witherspoon is set to make his debut tonight at 6:45 ET, taking the mound for the Drive.

Meanwhile, the Salem Red Sox unveiled their new identity as the RidgeYaks, and they made a splash in their first game under the rebranded name. Dylan Brown, selected by the Red Sox in the eighth round of the 2025 draft from Old Dominion, dazzled in his minor league debut, striking out six batters in five shutout innings and allowing just two baserunners while throwing a mere 52 pitches.

On the offensive front for the RidgeYaks, Skylar King shone brightly with two doubles that drove in three runs. Teammates Starlyn Nunez and D’Angelo Ortiz also contributed, each collecting two hits, with Nunez stealing a base and Ortiz swiping two bags. The RidgeYaks’ exciting debut was a promising start to their season.

As the action continues, Madinson Frias is scheduled to make his first outing of the season tonight at 6:35 ET. In other news, Thursday’s game in St. Paul was rained out, but the teams are set to try again tonight at 7:37 ET with Worcester’s starter still to be determined. The Portland Sea Dogs will also begin their season this evening at 6:35 ET, featuring Blake Wehunt on the mound.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.