Six-Run Fourth Inning Helps Augusta Win Third Straight
June 4, 2022 - Carolina League (CarL)
Augusta GreenJackets News Release
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC: Saturday night's matchup between the Augusta GreenJackets (27-23) and Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (19-31) was a thriller as Augusta held off Kannapolis to secure a series victory, 7-6.
The Cannon Ballers put the pressure on early against GreenJackets' starting pitcher Jordano Perez in the opening inning by scoring three times on four hits with the runs coming on a solo homer by Wes Kath and a two-run single by Samil Polanco to put Kannapolis ahead 3-0.
Perez would pick himself up in a major way by tossing scoreless baseball for the rest of his outing that covered 4.2 innings, giving up just 3 base runners following the first inning while racking up a career-best 9 Ks along the way.
His offense came through with a crooked number in the third inning with several big swings in the frame. It started with a leadoff home run by Adam Zebrowski to make it a 3-1 game. With two runners on, Brandol Mezquita sent a rocket into the left-field corner to plate home Brian Klein and Caleb Durbin as Mezquita evened the score at three with his two-run double. Stephen Paolini was next in line and he brought home Mezquita with a triple to straightaway center to give Augusta their first lead at 4-3. Paolini found his way home on a wild pitch to elevate the advantage to 5-3. The inning would be capped off with an exclamation point as Mahki Backstrom sent his fifth home run of the season well over the right-field wall to conclude a six-run frame, giving the GreenJackets a 6-3 lead.
The power swings would continue in the fifth on a long-ball by Cal Conley to start the inning as the Augusta shortstop hit his team-best seventh homer of the season to make it a 7-3 ballgame.
Kannapolis would stir up a rally on the GreenJackets bullpen as they scored in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Nick Thornquist to make it a 7-4.
An inning later they'd strike for two more runs on an RBI single by Colby Smelley and a double-play ball off the bat of Benyamin Bailey that scored Colson Montgomery but the run production would be halted there as Darling Florentino got Samil Polanco to bounce out to retire the side with Augusta still ahead 7-6.
In the eighth, Estarlin Rodriguez entered and was tasked to get his second six-out save of the week and he'd start strong by getting through the eighth with three ground balls to keep a pair of Cannon Ballers stranded on the bases. In the ninth, he struck out the first two batters and then got Benyamin Bailey to ground out to third on a spectacular play turned by Caleb Durbin and Mahki Backstrom to end the game, closing out a 7-6 win for the GreenJackets.
Augusta locked up a series victory with Saturday's win by taking four of the first five versus Kannapolis. Darling Florentino earned his first win in relief, while Estarlin Rodriguez picked up his second save of the week. Cannon Ballers' starting pitcher Noah Owen took the loss for Kannapolis.
The 12-game homestand concludes Sunday at 1:35 p.m. for the GreenJackets at SRP Park with Kris Anglin drawing the start for Augusta against Jarred Kelley for the Cannon Ballers.
The fifth homestand at SRP Park finishes Sunday with Bark in the Park sponsored by Hollywood Feed along with Sunday Funday!
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