GreenJackets Swept by Cannon Ballers in Saturday Doubleheader
May 25, 2024 - Carolina League (CarL)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC: The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers scored 6 runs in the first inning of game one, and never looked back, dominating both 7-inning contests to sweep the day against the Augusta GreenJackets.
The Cannon Ballers mustered 6 singles and were aided by two errors in the first against Adam Maier, who only gave up one piece of solid contact but was still chased due to pitch count after just one inning of work. The barrage of relievers behind him would fare no better, as Kannapolis scored 4 in the 2nd, 1 in the 3rd, and 4 in the 4th to turn the game into a lopsided rout very quickly. Augusta's offense could not solve starter Grant Taylor, who worked four scoreless innings with just one hit allowed in his 3rd professional start.
With a beleaguered bullpen already at the start of the day, Augusta was forced to turn to two different position players to pitch, as third baseman Joe Olsavsky and left fielder P-O Boucher both made their professional pitching debuts to try to save the pen. Both allowed a solo home run each, and lobbed eephus pitches as low as 35 miles per hour to the delight of the crowd. Augusta's only offense for game 1 was a two-run homer from Boucher, the first of his pro career, as the day began with a 17-2 throttling by Kannapolis.
Game two did not start much brighter, as usually reliable starter Garrett Baumann allowed hits, a walk, and a run over 32 pitches in the first and was forced to exit due to pitch count restrictions imposed on young pitching prospects. Adam Shoemaker fought valiantly out of the pen for 3.1, but the Cannon Baller offense added four more against him to sully a lengthy outing. Pitching-wise, starter Seth Keener and reliever Billy Seidl each allowed just one hit as they shut out the GreenJackets for the second time this week. Outfielder Kade Kern was forced to mop up the final two outs of the 7th, becoming the third position player to pitch of the day. Keener took the victory in the 6-0 contest, his second of the year, while Baumann held his first loss as a professional.
The GreenJackets' two losses drop them to 18-25 on the year, while Kannapolis maintains sole possession of first place in the South Division at 25-18. The Cannon Ballers have guaranteed a series victory after taking four of the first five games, and will look to snag a getaway day win behind lefty Lucas Gordon, as he matches up with Cade Kuehler on extended rest at 6:05 Sunday evening.
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