GreenJackets pick up 9-8 win
June 21, 2012 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release
Savannah, GA - In a game that featured two four-run innings from each team, the Augusta GreenJackets held on in the ninth inning to pick up a 9-8 win over the Savannah Sand Gnats in the second-half opener for both teams. The win is Augusta's 16th one-run victory this season - a South Atlantic League-leading total.
In the ninth inning, with the GreenJackets leading by five runs, Savannah picked up four straight singles off Kyle Vazquez to open the inning - cutting the lead down to 9-6. All-Star Cody Hall came out of the Augusta bullpen to get the first two outs of the inning, but he allowed a two-run single by Aderlin Rodriguez that cut the Augusta lead to 9-8 and brought the winning run to the plate. Hall got Brian Harrison to fly out to left-center to end the game though and preserve his 11th save of the year.
The GreenJackets built up a 5-0 lead through five and a half innings, getting four runs in the fourth inning and another in the sixth. Ben Thomas hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth to get the GreenJackets on the board with a 1-0 lead. Savannah starter Logan Verrett threw two wild pitches in the inning that brought home runs while Brett Krill beat out a double play ball at first to bring home the inning's fourth run. In the sixth, Jeff Arnold drilled an RBI single to give the GreenJackets a 5-0 lead.
Meanwhile Clayton Blackburn was cruising in the early innings of his 12th start of the season, retiring the first 12 hitters of the game. He allowed three singles in the fifth to load the bases with one out before emerging from that jam unblemished. He wasn't as lucky in the fourth though, as Savannah drilled five hits against him - four of them doubles - to cut Augusta's lead to 5-4. Cam Maron, Rodriguez and Charley Thurber all plated runs on RBI doubles while Harrison brought in another with the inning's lone single.
Augusta picked up some much-needed breathing room with four more runs in the eighth in a rally that was triggered by one of Savannah's four errors in the contest. Arnold's grounder to third went through Rodriguez's legs to allow a run to score to make it a 6-4 GreenJackets lead. Jesus Galindo singled home another and Kelby Tomlinson hit a sacrifice fly to grow the lead to 8-4. The ninth run scored on a wild pitch by Savannah reliever Jared West and proved to be key after Savannah nearly rallied themselves to overcome the GreenJackets.
Blackburn (4-2) picked up his third straight win in as many starts and fourth in his last six, surviving a bumpy stretch in the fifth and sixth inning. He allowed four runs in six innings on eight hits while striking out eight. Blackburn has struck out five or more now in all but two of his 12 starts this season. Verrett (2-1) was the victim of Savannah's shoddy defense, allowing four runs - one earned - on six hits and a walk in five innings, striking out six. It was the first time in Verrett's six starts that the Sand Gnats lost the game.
The GreenJackets have now won 11 of their last 15 games and with the win they ended Savannah's six-game winning streak. They'll send Chris Marlowe (1-3, 3.06) to the mound on Friday looking for their second straight win against Savannah's Jacob DeGrom (2-1, 2.88). First pitch from Savannah 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 Monday June 25th to open their longest homestand of the year with the first of a four-game series against the Asheville Tourists. 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 21, 2012
- Intimidators Sneak Past Shorebirds 6-5 in 11 Innings - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Drive Notch 12-6 Come-From-Behind Win - Greenville Drive
- Jackets Down Gnats in Wild 9-8 Game Thursday - Savannah Sand Gnats
- 'Dads take down 'Hoppers, 6-3, to open 2nd Half - Hickory Crawdads
- Late Greenville Rally Buries RiverDogs - Charleston RiverDogs
- West Virginia Overcomes Early Deficit, Beats Legends 9-4 - Lexington Legends
- Pangilinan's GW Single Beats 'Birds in 11th - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Power bests Lexington Legends 9-4 - Charleston Dirty Birds
- GreenJackets pick up 9-8 win - Augusta GreenJackets
- Braves Use Hot Start to Cool Tourists; 7-3 - Asheville Tourists
- Suns Squeezed by Blue Claws 5-3 - Hagerstown Suns
- BlueClaws Begin 2nd Half with Bang, Win 5-3 - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Former GreenJackets to Play in Futures Game - Augusta GreenJackets
- Suns' Meyer to Represent U.S. in MLB Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game - Hagerstown Suns
- Former Shorebirds to Play in Futures Game - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Savannah Makes Roster Moves - Savannah Sand Gnats
- LHP Walters Promoted to Winston-Salem - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Shorebirds Game Notes: at Kannapolis - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Taillon Selected for All-Star Futures Game - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Melissa Azevedo Named Finalist for Local Influential Women in Business Award - Charleston RiverDogs
- Rockies Promote Cleary Jr., Send Laruent to Asheville - Asheville Tourists
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
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