Blackburn's Masterpiece Paints 1-0 Augusta Win
Published on June 5, 2012 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release
Augusta, GA - In his last start, Clayton Blackburn took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The Augusta GreenJackets righty followed that up by falling one out shy of his first professional complete game as the GreenJackets held on for a 1-0 win in the opener of a three-game series with the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Tuesday night at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
Blackburn (2-2) allowed just four hits in 8.2 scoreless innings, walking one and striking out six. He's now struck out six or more hitters in each of his last five starts and in seven of his last eight. Blackburn started his outing on the right foot by retiring 12 of the first 13 hitters he faced and 19 of the first 21.
The GreenJackets manufactured the game's only run in the fourth inning against Greensboro lefty Adam Conley, who didn't surrender a hit until the sixth inning. Jesus Galindo was hit by a 1-2 offering from Conley while leading off the inning. Galindo broke for second on Conley's first motion and was easily picked off. But Greensboro shortstop Terrence Dayleg dropped the throw to second and Galindo moved into scoring position on the error. Galindo was bunted to third and scored on Shawn Payne's sacrifice fly to give the GreenJackets a 1-0 edge.
Conley (6-2) allowed just the unearned run in six innings of one-hit baseball in one of his most dominant starts of the year. He walked one, hit a batter and struck out eight - the third time he's reached his career-high of eight strikeouts this season.
All told, there were just seven hits in the game - four for Greensboro, three for Augusta - and neither team had too many scoring chances to blow.
Blackburn took the hill to begin the ninth, attempting to become the first GreenJackets starter all year to fire a complete game. After getting the first two outs, he allowed a base hit and was lifted from the game an out shy of going the distance. Kyle Vazquez got Matt Smith to line out on a 3-2 pitch to end the game, preserving Blackburn's first home win and earning Vazquez his first save of the year.
With the win, the GreenJackets snap a five-game losing streak, a season-long they've equaled three times this year. They'll look to make it two in a row on Wednesday with Chris Marlowe (1-2, 3.38) taking the mound against South Atlantic League ERA leader Jose Fernandez (6-0, 1.50), who was today named as the Northern Division's starting pitcher in the upcoming SAL All-Star Game. First pitch 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.
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.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 5, 2012
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- 'Dogs Bite 'Dads to Open Series in Charleston - Hickory Crawdads
- Power Fall 3-2 - Charleston Dirty Birds
- RiverDogs Start Homestand with 10-3 Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- BlueClaws Snap 8-Game Skid, Win 5-4 - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- BlueClaws Hold off Legends - Lexington Legends
- Blackburn's Masterpiece Paints 1-0 Augusta Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- Seven Legends Named to All-Star Team - Lexington Legends
- Gnats Tuesday Game Cancelled Due to Wet Grounds - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Crawdads Weekly - 'Dads Sweep Homestand, Extend Streak to Eight - Hickory Crawdads
- Filak and Moore Head to 2012 All Star Game - Rome Emperors
- BlueClaws Welcome Olympians to June 12th Game - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Shorebirds Game Notes at West Virginia - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Kleven to Represent BlueClaws in SAL All-Star Game - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Matt Skole Leads List of Four Suns Voted as 2012 All-Stars - Hagerstown Suns
- Five Crawdads Selected to 2012 SAL All-Star Team - Hickory Crawdads
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- West Virginia puts three on SAL Northern All-Star Team - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Five Tourists Named to South Atlantic League All-Star Squad - Asheville Tourists
- Austin, Sanchez, Arcia, Guerra and Mitchell Named to 2012 SAL All-Star Team - Charleston RiverDogs
- Nicky Delmonico Named South Atlantic League All-Star - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Kannapolis Sending Four Players to SAL All-Star Game - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Cody Hall Selected to All-Star Game - Augusta GreenJackets
- Drive Sending Three to 2012 All-Star Game - Greenville Drive
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