Augusta Drops Heartbreaker on Ninth Inning Wild Pitch
June 15, 2010 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release
Charleston, SC - Pinch-runner Kelvin Castro trotted home from third on a wild pitch from Jose Valdez in the bottom of the ninth to give the Charleston RiverDogs a dramatic 4-3, walkoff win over the Augusta GreenJackets on Tuesday night.
With Augusta's loss and Savannah's 3-1 win over Rome on Tuesday, both the GreenJackets and Sand Gnats will enter play on Wednesday tied for first place in the Southern Division with identical 39-26 records. Five games remain in the first half.
Charleston got on the board in the second inning off Jeremy Toole on a two-run home run to left field from Zoilo Almonte, his second of the series. Almonte has knocked in six runs in these two games against the GreenJackets. Augusta found the equalizing runs in the fifth after opening the inning with a Daniel Cook single and a Ryan Lollis double. Ydwin Villegas grounded out to score Cook while Lollis scored on âDogs starter Jose Ramirez's third wild pitch of the game to tie things at two apiece.
In the sixth, the GreenJackets took their only lead of the game when Ryan Lollis beat out a bases-loaded double-play ball to score Chris Dominguez from third but it would be a short-lived lead. In the home half of the inning, Rob Lyerly's RBI single scored Jimmy Paredes to tie things at three. Paredes had reached third with one out on a triple. Two different GreenJacket relievers got out of the jam in the sixth to preserve the tie.
After both teams had their chances in the seventh and eighth, Francisco Arcia opened the ninth with a single off Valdez - Augusta's fifth pitcher of the night. Arcia moved to second on a wild pitch and third on a sacrifice bunt before he was lifted for the pinch-runner Castro. After Slade Heathcott was intentionally walked, Valdez uncorked the fatal wild pitch with one out and JR Murphy at the plate.
Valdez (3-2) only got one out in the ninth and takes the loss while Ryan Flannery (5-2) worked two scoreless innings of two-hit baseball to finish the game for Charleston and get the win.
Augusta sends Kyle Vazquez (4-2, 3.22) to the mound in the rubber game of the series while Charleston counters with Jairo Heredia (2-1, 5.08). First pitch from Charleston will come at 7:05 p.m. with the pregame action beginning at 6:50 p.m. on WRDW AM 1630, www.greenjacketsbaseball.com and www.wrdwam.com.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 15, 2010
- Lakewood Tops Legends on Bases-Loaded Walk in 10th - Lexington Legends
- Gnats Move Back Into First Place Tie with 3-1 Win Tuesday - Savannah Sand Gnats
- 'Dads Defeat Power, 7-5, in Rain-Shortened Game - Hickory Crawdads
- BlueClaws Come Back to Win 2-1 over Lexington - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Castro Scores Game-Winner on Wild Pitch, Dogs Unbutton GreenJackets, 4-3 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Augusta Drops Heartbreaker on Ninth Inning Wild Pitch - Augusta GreenJackets
- Pitching Keys Shorebirds 2-1 Game Two Win - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Intimidators Nipped Again by Shorebirds, 2-1 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Gnats Game Notes - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Shorebirds Game Notes - Delmarva Shorebirds
- SAL All-Stars Set to Arrive in Greenville June 21-22 - Greenville Drive
- Cynthia Griner, Mrs. North Carolina International, at June 26th Game - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- RiverDogs Go Back to Ohio Once Again - Charleston RiverDogs
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Jackets Take Advantage Of Sloppy âDogs In 7-4 Win - Augusta GreenJackets
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