Augusta's 2-1 Victory Spoils Hopes of Charleston Sweep
August 30, 2009 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release
CHARLESTON, SC - Augusta starter Eric Surkamp allowed four hits and fanned eight batters over 6.1 innings to lead the GreenJackets to a 2-1 victory over the Charleston RiverDogs in front of 3,027 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park Sunday evening.
With the victory, Augusta avoided the three-game sweep and improved to 35-27 in the second half (70-61 overall) while Charleston snapped a three-game win streak to fell to 28-32 this half (67-63 overall).
Augusta struck for a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning against starter Alan Horne, notching an RBI single from Charlie Culberson, and a two-out wild pitch brought home Johnny Monell after Jose Flores struck out.
The RiverDogs plated their first run in the seventh on Abraham Almonte's RBI single to center, which not only cut the deficit to 2-1, but also extended his hitting streak to 21 games. Charleston appeared to have tied the game at 2-2 following a Melky Mesa sacrifice fly, but Augusta appealed that Jose Pirela did not touch home plate and the run was taken off the board to end the inning.
Horne (0-1) tossed seven solid innings in the loss and allowed two earned runs on six hits while walking four and striking out five. Reliever Edwin Walker threw two uneventful scoreless innings and permitted two base hits.
Justin Fitzgerald, in relief of Surkamp (10-5), threw 1.2 scoreless innings out of the Augusta bullpen, and Chris Wilson fanned the side in the ninth to earn his seventh save.
The GreenJackets collected eight hits on the night, as Josh Mazzola led the way with a pair, while Charleston was limited to only five hits with no one accounting for more than one.
Both teams stranded nine runners, with six of Charleston's being in scoring position.
--RIVERDOGS--
BALLPARK FUN: Several hundred fans participated in the Charleston Fun Club and RiverDogs' attempt to break a Guinness Book of World Records for the longest egg toss prior to the game. The event was a fundraiser for MUSC Children's Hospital. Although the attempt to break the world record was unsuccessful, those who participated had fun and established a RiverDogs mark. The record of 1,442 participants will remain to the people of Skagway, Alaska, who set the mark on July 4, 2008, when the coastal town utilized the services of a docked cruise ship.
COMING UP: Charleston embarks on its final road trip of the season, a four-game series in three days against the Rome Braves with Monday's first game set for a 7 p.m. first pitch. The RiverDogs plan to pitch right-hander Dan Kapala (6-1, 2.81 ERA) in the lid-lifter, while Rome has yet to announce its starter. Charleston returns home for the last homestand of the year on Thursday, Sept. 3, for a five-game series against the Savannah Sand Gnats, a New York Mets affiliate.
South Atlantic League Stories from August 30, 2009
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