By Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets
NORTH AUGUSTA – Augusta’s offense scored in six of its final seven offensive innings, proving too much for the Pelicans to handle in an 11-4 win on Wednesday.
After threatening without a run in the first two innings, the GreenJackets finally broke through in the 3rd against erratic starter Will Frisch. Augusta loaded the bases with nobody out, via an Owen Carey double, Nick Montgomery walk, and Eric Hartman infield single. Isaiah Drake stepped in and came through, lasering a two-run single up the middle. Hartman would score on a wild pitch two batters later, putting the Jackets up early.
Myrtle Beach responded in quick fashion, unleashing their first and only outburst of offense in the top of the 4th against Riley Frey. Frey, in his first start of the year after being called upon from Rome due to injuries, had no issues in the first three frames, but struggled in the fourth as the Pelicans began to attack his fastball. Frey would get hit with four runs, three of them earned, in the inning, with a double from Max Halbach and single from Leonel Espinoza giving the Pelicans the lead.
The lead would be short-lived, as Augusta rudely greeted reliever Alfredo Romero with a four-run inning of their own to snatch back a lead they would never relinquish. The Jackets loaded the bases with one out once again, and Eric Hartman wore a hit by pitch to tie the game. After a strikeout gave hope to the Pelicans, Mac Guscette stole it away with a bloop double that cleared the bases and put the ‘Jackets back in front.
Not satisfied with a three-run cushion, Augusta would tack on four more runs in the next four innings against both Romero and Brayden Risedorph to extend the lead and ice the game. Carey, Luis Sanchez, and Leiker Figueroa each nabbed RBIs down the stretch, with Figueroa going 2-5 in his first game of the season.
While Frey completed five solid innings and earned the win, the bullpen was equally deserving of flowers, as Trent Buchanan and Jacob Kroeger combined to allow just two hits in four scoreless innings. Buchanan now leads the team with four appearances, and has allowed just one earned run in what has been a stellar start to his pro career.
The GreenJackets look to make it three straight wins tomorrow evening behind Owen Hackman, who bounced back for a near-perfect start in Hickory after a difficult debut. He will toss opposite Nazier Mule, a hard-throwing right-hander who is considered by some to be a top-30 prospect in the Cubs’ system, and is incredibly difficult to square up when throwing strikes. First pitch Thursday will be at 7:05 p.m., with gates opening at 6 p.m.
