RiverDogs Park Drive, 4-0, for 2nd Straight Shutout

CHARLESTON, SC Three Charleston pitchers combined for a second consecutive shutout and Garrison Lassiter went 4-for-4 as the RiverDogs whitewashed the Greenville Drive, 4-0, in South Atlantic League action Friday night in front of a standing room only crowd of 7,378 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

The game showcased another outstanding pitching performance by the RiverDogs as coupled with Thursdays night shutout and the final frame in Wednesdays game, Charlestons pitchers have now tossed a combined 19 consecutive scoreless innings.

Charleston starter David Phelps pitched six shutout innings to improve his record to 9-2, which ties him for league leadership. In the process, he scattered four hits, walked one while striking out a season-high nine Drive batters.

RiverDogs reliever Chuck Nolte finished the last three innings and noted his first save of the season as he surrendered two hits while walking one and striking out two.

With the victory, the RiverDogs split the four-game series and improve its second half record to 5-4 (44-35 overall) while the Drive slip to 3-5 in the second half (42-34 overall).

The RiverDogs took an early 2-0 lead in the second when Abraham Almonte reached on a fielders choice and advanced to second when Taylor Grote drew a walk. Lassiter slapped a RBI single to right that knocked home Almonte as Grote dashed to third. Chase Weems then lifted a sacrifice fly to right that allowed Grote to score.

Weems slugged his first home run of the season on a 2-0 pitch off of Greenville starter Caleb Clay (3-4) to lead off the fifth inning and extended Charlestons lead to 3-0.

Tommy Baldridge drove home Charlestons fourth run with a RBI groundout in the eighth to improve the RiverDogs lead to 4-0.

The RiverDogs recorded six hits on the night with Lassiter going a game-best 4-for-4 while the Drive collected six knocks with Ty Weeden and Pete Hissey each noting a pair.

Charleston embarks on an eight-game, two city road trip beginning with a four-game set against the Asheville Tourists, an affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. In the series opener RiverDogs manager Torre Tyson hands the ball to southpaw Manny Banuelos (6-3, 2.26 ERA) while Tourists skipper Joe Mikulik counters with right-hander Robinson Fabian (2-5, 5.45 ERA) with first pitch set for Saturday at 7:05 p.m.