Four-Run Eighth Drives Third Straight Win
Published on May 2, 2012 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release
Kannapolis, NC - The Augusta GreenJackets started the month of May on the right foot with a come-from-behind 9-6 win over the Kannapolis Intimidators in a series and road trip opener on Wednesday night.
Trailing 6-5 in the eighth inning, the GreenJackets had runners at first and second after Shawn Payne led off with a single and was followed by a Ben Thomas walk. With Brett Krill at the plate in a bunt situation - and Kannapolis in a bunt defense - manager Lipso Nava elected to take the bunt sign off in a move that paid immediate dividends. With the wheel play on, Krill stroked a single up the wide-open middle to plate Payne and tie the game at six. After a walk loaded the bases, Eric Sim's RBI single put the GreenJackets ahead 7-6. Later in the inning, Carlos Willoughby singled home a run and Kelby Tomlinson drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the Augusta lead to 9-6.
The Intimidators mounted an eighth inning rally of their own, loading the bases with a single and two walks off Derek Law in the inning. Closer Cody Hall came in and used six pitches to strike Ross Wilson out on a called third strike to end the inning. In the ninth, Hall struck out two more and gave up two hits, but got a fly out to end the game with the tying run at the plate. With his sixth save, Hall extended his league lead in the category.
Augusta and Kannapolis both scored multiple runs in the first inning thanks to two-out errors that extended both halves of the frame. With two on in the top of the first, Krill's fly ball to right was dropped - resulting in two runs to give the GreenJackets the first lead. Michael Mergenthaler followed with an RBI single to push that lead to 3-0. Kannapolis answered by getting a man on with two outs on a dropped fly ball in their half of the first. Leighton Pangilinan made the GreenJackets pay by drilling a two-run homer to cut Augusta's lead to 3-2.
Kannapolis tied the game at three in the second inning when Mark Haddow tripled and later scored on Collin Kuhn's one-out RBI single. The GreenJackets went back on top in the fourth on Carlos Willoughby's RBI double and stretched the lead to 5-3 when Kelby Tomlinson singled home a second run in the inning. The Intimidators got a run back in the bottom of the fourth with a bases loaded groundout, but Edwin Escobar bounced back to strikeout out Wilson with the bases loaded to preserve a one-run lead. Escobar allowed four runs - two earned - on seven hits and a walk in the no decision, striking out four. Augusta has only had a starter last five innings or more six times this year and Escobar has done it in three of his four starts.
The 5-4 Augusta lead held until the seventh when Wilson's RBI triple to center tied the game at five. On the next pitch, Grant Buckner's RBI single to left gave the Intimidators their first lead of the night at 6-5, though it would be a short-lived one.
Kevin Couture (1-1) allowed two runs in two innings of work, but struck out three and earned the win. Daniel Webb (0-5) allowed four runs in three innings for Kannapolis and was tagged for the loss.
Clayton Blackburn (0-1, 2.95) takes the ball for the GreenJackets on Thursday in search of Augusta's fourth straight win. He'll face Myles Jaye in his first start of the year for the Intimidators. First pitch from Kannapolis 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 Thursday May 10th to open a series with the Greenville Drive on the second Thirsty Thursday of the year, presented by The Library, with dollar soft drinks and draft beers available.
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 May 2, 2012
- Tourists Looking For Two; End Up With Split - Asheville Tourists
- De Leon Shines as RiverDogs Dismember BlueClaws 5-3 - Charleston RiverDogs
- 8th-Inning Double Dooms 'Claws, 5-3 - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Gnats Fly Past Birds 7-2 Wednesday - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Augusta Rallies in Eighth to Drop Kannapolis - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Four-Run Eighth Drives Third Straight Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- Suns Use Seven Extra Base Hits to Topple Rome, 10-5 - Hagerstown Suns
- Sand Gnats Drop Shorebirds 7-1 in Opener - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Error-Filled Game Costly to Drive, Lose 4-2 - Greenville Drive
- Legends Take Series Opener in Greenville, 4-2 - Lexington Legends
- 'Dads Come Back Comes up Short in Greensboro - Hickory Crawdads
- 2012 GSC Baseball Tournament Preview - Rome Emperors
- Shorebirds Game Notes at Savannah - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Rome Braves Make Roster Moves - Rome Emperors
- Rivera Announced as South Atlantic League Player of the Week - Savannah Sand Gnats
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