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SAL1 Augusta GreenJackets

Ball Bounces Wrong Way for Jackets, Hickory Wins on Walk-Off Home Run

April 24, 2019 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release


Hickory, NC: The Augusta GreenJackets (9-9) fought back to take a 4-3 lead in the 8th, but couldn't hold on as two late home runs for the Hickory Crawdads (14-5) were the difference to help the home team walk-it-off in the 9th inning on a Chad Smith solo home run.

The GreenJackets were tied up at four in the top of the 9th, and with two outs and Shane Matheny on 1st base for the GreenJackets, Jacob Gonzalez hit a ball into the centerfield gap that would have scored Matheny. The ball barely hopped over the fence in left and it kept Matheny at 3rd base as it was a ground-rule double. Aaron Bond grounded out to end the inning, and in the bottom of the 9th, Smith led the inning off with the home run to send the Hickory fans home happy.

The starting pitching matchup was as good as advertised between Augusta's Jake Wong and Rangers #1 Prospect Hans Crouse. In the first inning, with two outs, the GreenJackets threatened. Diego Rincones doubled and then Frankie Tostado reached base on a strikeout, wild pitch. After Jacob Gonzalez walked, Aaron Bond grounded out with the bases loaded to get Hans Crouse out of the jam.

In the bottom of the first Jake Wong had his hands full for Augusta. With one out, Jonathan Ornelas singled, and Curtis Terry followed it up with a double to put both runners in scoring position. Wong got out of it with two strikeouts, keeping the game scoreless after the first.

Hickory left two more men on base in the 2nd inning as Jake Wong continued to work out of trouble.

After Wong did not allow a run through the first three innings, Pedro Gonzalez redeemed himself after striking out looking with two on and nobody out in his first at-bat. Gonzalez belted a solo home run to score the game's first run making it 1-0 Hickory. It was Gonzalez 4th home run of the season.

The GreenJackets had an answer in the 5th inning though. With two out, Shane Matheny doubled and Diego Rincones flipped a single into left field scoring Matheny to tie the game at one.

Hickory came back in the 6th on an RBI double for Curtis Terry to make it 2-1. In the 6th, Pedro Gonzalez hit his 2nd solo home run of the game extending the lead to 3-1 for the Crawdads.

Jake Wong finishes the night going six innings allowing three runs and striking-out five. It was the longest outing of Wong's career.

In the 8th inning, Shane Matheny led it off with his 4th home run of the season making it 3-2 Hickory. Later in the frame, back-to-back sacrifice fly's from Jacob Gonzalez and Aaron Bond gave the GreenJackets their first lead of the night at 4-3.

All night long Hickory had an answer, and it was Sam Huff who hit his 8th home run of the season in the 8th to tie the score at four.

In the 9th, after Shane Matheny drew a leadoff walk, Grant Anderson came back with two strikeouts for Hickory. Jacob Gonzalez came up and belted one into the left centerfield gap that would have scored Matheny easily. The ball barely hopped over the fence for a ground rule double, and kept the score tied.

Aaron Bond came up and grounded out to end the inning. In the bottom of the 9th, Chad Smith led the inning off with a solo home run for the walk-off win off Solomon Bates. It was the 4th home run of the evening for the Crawdads as they take the series.

The GreenJackets will head north and take on the Delmarva Shorebirds for a four-game series beginning tomorrow.

Player of the Game: Shane Matheny, 2-4, 2 R, RBI, HR, BB

Shane Matheny continues to swing a hot bat. The lefty is now hitting .300 for the season and he has a six-game hitting streak. During the streak he is 10-24 (.417).

Tomorrow's Game: 7:05 p.m. @ Delmarva Shorebirds, LHP Seth Corry (AUG) (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs RHP Blaine Knight (1-0, 1.15)

Seth Corry will try and continue what has been an impressive beginning to 2019. The southpaw from Alpine, Utah has not allowed an earned run in his first 10.2 innings this season. He also has 20 strikeouts in his first three starts while opponents have hit just .132 against him. The 20-year old will try to keep the walks to a minimum as he has 10 so far this year.

Delmarva will send out Blaine Knight in the series opener. Knight was a 3rd Round pick out of Arkansas in the 2018 MLB Draft. He is currently ranked as the #10 Overall Prospect in the Baltimore Orioles organization according to MLB.com. In his last start against Kannapolis he went five innings of shutout baseball with nine strikeouts.

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