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Augusta GreenJackets

Payne's Triple The Difference in 3-2 Win

June 25, 2012 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release


Augusta, GA - For the fourth time in five second-half games, the Augusta GreenJackets picked up a one-run victory, this time with a 3-2 win in a series and homestand opener against the Asheville Tourists on Monday night at Lake Olmstead Stadium. The win extends Augusta's league-leading total of one-run wins to 19.

Augusta has led first in all four of their post-All Star Break victories, picking up a run in the fourth inning on three consecutive two-out hits. With runners at the corners, Brett Krill drove home Wes Hodges from third to give the GreenJackets a 1-0 lead in the fourth.

In the fifth, the GreenJackets added two more to claim a three-run edge. With one out, Kelby Tomlinson singled and took third when the ball was misplayed in right field. A walk put runners at the corners for Shawn Payne, who tripled to score both runners and give the GreenJackets a 3-0 lead. Ben Thomas followed with a fly out to shallow right-center. Payne tried to score but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning on what proved to be a momentum-shifting play.

The Tourists used that momentum to score twice in the sixth and nearly tie the game. Two singles and a wild pitch put runners at second and third with one out for Will Swanner, who singled to put the Tourists on the board. Later in the inning, a throwing error on Swanner's steal of second plated a second run to pull the Tourists to within a run at 3-2. Edwin Escobar buckled down though to get back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning and leave the tying run at second.

In his seven innings, Escobar (3-4) allowed two runs - one earned - on eight hits in his first home win of the season. For the first time in five starts, Escobar didn't walk anyone and his eight strikeouts were just two shy of the career-best he set in his last start.

The Tourists had their best chance to tie the game in the ninth against Cody Hall, who allowed a double to start the inning and hit the inning's second batter to put the tying and go-ahead runs on base with no one out. Hall struck out Ryan Casteel for the inning's first out and then with Chandler Laurent in motion toward third on a two-strike pitch to Rosell Herrera, Hall struck out Herrera and Jeff Arnold threw Laurent out at third to end the game with the strike out-caught stealing double play - the second such twin-killing turned by the GreenJackets in the contest.

For Hall, he picked up his league-leading 13th save of the year and third in the last five games. Arnold has now thrown out five of the last seven would-be basestealers that have tested his arm from behind the plate.

Asheville starter Danny Winkler (8-5) took the tough-luck loss, holding the GreenJackets to three runs on nine hits and a walk in six innings while striking out five.

The GreenJackets have now won three straight and 14 of their last 19 since being swept in four games by the Tourists at McCormick Field at the start of the month. They'll look to equal their season-long winning streak on Tuesday with Paul Davis (3-2, 4.20) headed to the mound against Ben Alsup (7-3, 4.94). 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.

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