Younginer Strong in First Outing For Drive

Preparing for his first appearance as a professional before local fans, former Mauldin High star and Greenville Drive pitcher Madison Younginer admitted he was nervous.

But when he took the mound in the second inning against Hickory there was little evidence of those nerves.

After coming on for starter Andrew Miller, who was on a rehab assignment for the Boston Red Sox, Younginer retired the first six batters he faced.

He was touched up for a run in his final inning of an action, after permitting two hits and issuing a walk. All told, Younginer pitched three innings, struck out three, walked one, while allowing a run. He was on a pitch limit of 75, but threw 45 in facing 12 batters.

“I’m very proud of the way things went,” Younginer said after the game, still with a smile on his face from spending time with family and friends once the game went final, 4-3 in favor of Hickory.

Drive Manager Carlos Febles concurred with Younginer’s assessment. “He looked pretty good,” Febles said. “He got out of trouble there in the fourth when it could have been a lot worse.”

Febles managed Younginer last year while they were both with the Lowell Spinners. The skipper noticed some changes in Younginer, who worked on his mechanics in the Fall Instructional League. “He’s more smooth with his delivery,” Febles said.

Younginer said he was conscious of his mechanics, but not overly so. “In the bullpen I was looking at my stride, but once I got out there I just focused on throwing to the target,” he said.  “If you think about it too much you can start messing yourself up.”

Febles said Younginer experienced some tightness in his forearm on Monday, but the right-hander will be ready for his next start.

Younginer was not the only player with local ties at Fluor Field on Monday. Clemson product Will Lamb threw four innings for Hickory without allowing a run. Lamb’s presence did not escape Younginer, who committed to Clemson before signing with the Red Sox in 2009. “It was fun being out there with another local guy,” Younginer said.

Patch Pitches: With the win Hickory improved to 4-1 and the loss dropped the Drive to 3-2…Attendance was 3,689…Tuesday’s game starts at 4:05 and will be followed by a match-up between Furman and Clemson. One ticket is good for both games.

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Join Mauldin Patch as we cover 2009 Mauldin High grad Madison Younginer's Greenville Drive debut.

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