Early Offense Leads Augusta to 6-3 Win
August 23, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release
ZEBULON, NC: The GreenJacket offense scored 3 runs in both the first and fourth innings, and held the line with a phenomenal pair of pitching performances en route to the first win of the week over the Carolina Mudcats.
The top of the order gave an unkind welcome to Bryan Rivera, with five of the first six hitters reaching base to start the night. Two walks and a double loaded the bases with one out, before Will Verdung came through with a two-run single to put Augusta on the board. Colby Jones followed suit two pitches later, scoring the 3rd run of the inning for an early cushion.
The initial barrage was more than enough for Owen Hackman, as the 9th rounder held Carolina at bay for five fantastic innings and his first professional win. Hackman allowed just two hits and struck out five, limiting hard contact at every juncture.
Augusta doubled its lead in the 4th, chasing Rivera and utilizing lapses in command of three more two-out runs. Willmer De La Cruz and John Gil each drew free passes to put two men aboard, and Pat Clohisy brought both him by thumping a line drive over the head of right fielder Reese Walling. Clohisy would streak home on a subsequent single from Junior Garcia, ending Rivera's evening and handing him his first loss of the year.
After five scoreless, Hackman took a seat on the bench and was replaced by lefty Adam Shoemaker. On a full week of rest, Shoemaker's goal was length, and that's exactly what he provided. Carolina would not make his night easy, scoring two runs in the 6th on a pair of bases-loaded hit by pitches, the latter of which forced Walling to leave the game due to injury. Yhoswar Garcia stepped up as the tying run with two outs and the bases loaded, but was robbed of extra bases on a phenomenal diving play from De La Cruz at third to end the inning.
Shoemaker would allow another run in the 7th to bring the deficit down to three on a Juan Baez sac fly, but would end the frame on a K and settle in down the stretch. Carolina's bullpen was phenomenal in their own right, producing 5.1 scoreless innings between Brailin Rodriguez, Anfernny Reyes, and Dikember Sanchez, but the offense could not solve Shoemaker. Both the 8th and 9th came and went scorelessly, and Shoemaker grabbed a 12-out save, his first of the season and second of his four-year pro career.
Now with a win in hand, the GreenJackets will look to build upon tonight's momentum in an early evening game tomorrow at 5:00. JR Ritchie gets the start for Augusta, while Bishop Letson goes for Carolina in a clash of two right-handers who are both in their respective organization's Top 30 Prospects. When Augusta returns home next week, the GreenJackets will play their final home series of the season, with 7 games in 6 days against the Columbia Fireflies beginning on Tuesday, August 27th. Tickets for the week's slate of games can be found at greenjacketsbaseball.com or by calling 803-349-9467.
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