SAL1 Augusta GreenJackets

Blackburn Flirts With No-No; Augusta Wins in 11

Published on May 29, 2012 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release


Lexington, KY - The Augusta GreenJackets have blown five leads in their last three games. When they claimed a lead in the 11th inning on Tuesday night, they made sure it wouldn't happen a sixth time. The GreenJackets evened their three-game series with the Lexington Legends, holding on to a 2-1 win in 11 innings on a night where Clayton Blackburn took a no-hitter into the seventh.

The GreenJackets grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third on Elliott Blair's solo home run - Augusta's first since May 19th. After that, Blackburn was the story for much of the ballgame. He walked the leadoff man in the third inning after retiring the first six hitters of the game before retiring the next 14 - 20 of the game's first 21 hitters. At one point in the fourth and fifth, he struck out five straight on a night where he fanned nine - one shy of a career-high.

After Blackburn got the first two outs in the seventh inning, Matt Duffy slid a double past first base to break up the no-hit bid. Chris Epps followed by beating out a slow roller to short and Blackburn hit the next batter to load the bases. Steven Neff came out of the Augusta bullpen and got a groundout on the first pitch he threw to end the inning.

Blackburn didn't allow a run on two hits in 6.2 scoreless innings - an out shy of equaling a season-long outing - while walking his first in three starts.

The GreenJackets had chances to extend their lead, getting runners in scoring position in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but stranded them to end those frames. That would prove costly as Delino DeShields tied the game with a two-out solo homer in the eighth inning to knot the game at one each.

In extras, the Legends left the winning run aboard in the tenth before the GreenJackets reclaimed the lead in the 11th. After Kelby Tomlinson was thrown out trying to steal second for the inning's second out, Mark Minicozzi drilled a solo home run on an 0-2 pitch from Murilo Gouvea (1-2) to put the GreenJackets up 2-1. Keith Bilodeau walked a pair in the bottom half of the inning but sealed the game to end Augusta's three-game losing skid and earn his first save of the year.

Neff (1-1) allowed a run on three hits in his 3.1 innings to get the win in relief of Blackburn. The GreenJackets are now 3-2 in extra innings this season with the win - their first in extras on the road.

The GreenJackets also did not commit an error in the game - their eighth straight without an error. That is a new South Atlantic League record, breaking the old mark set by the Charleston (WV) Wheelers - now the West Virginia Power.

In the rubber match of the series on Wednesday, the GreenJackets will send Chris Marlowe (1-1, 2.55) to the mound against Luis Cruz (4-1, 3.20). First pitch from Lexington comes at 7:05 p.m. with radio pregame coverage beginning at 6:50 p.m. on ESPN Radio 1340 AM and online at www.greenjacketsbaseball.com.

The GreenJackets return home on Tuesday June 5th to open a three-game series against the Greensboro Grasshoppers with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Single-game tickets for any GreenJackets home game are currently available by calling the GreenJackets front office at 706-922-WINS and online at www.greenjacketsbaseball.com.

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South Atlantic League Stories from May 29, 2012


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