By Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets
SALISBURY, Md. – A three-run burst in the fifth gave the GreenJackets a 4-2 lead in the middle innings, and the Jackets held firm in order to complete a dominant series victory against the Delmarva Shorebirds Sunday afternoon.
Both offenses began their days in the second inning, with Augusta scoring first for the third straight day as Leiker Figueroa laced a two-out single off of Michael Caldon to score Colby Jones. Delmarva responded immediately, as Luis Guevara continued his marvelous introduction to Single-A baseball with a 2-run single against Samuel Mejia. Mejia allowed five hits and two runs in three innings during his first start since July 2021.
Augusta chased Caldon quickly, and after struggling against Trent Turzenski, gave a rude welcome to Christian Herberholz in his first appearance of the week. Herberholz gave up three straight hits to start the 5th, loading the bases with nobody out. Augusta grinded their way through the rest of the inning, scoring all three men via a wild pitch, groundout, and fielder’s choice to take a 4-2 lead.
Once again, the Shorebirds were ready to respond, and attacked Reibyn Corona to cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth. Yasmil Bucce led off the frame with a walk, and Fernando Peguero took advantage of the heavy winds to sky a long fly ball out of the reach of Owen Carey in center, scoring Bucce on an RBI triple. Corona tightened in and punched out Kevin Guerrero to strand the tying run, and earned his first win of 2025 in the process.
The ’Jackets added one piece of insurance in the sixth, scoring Mac Guscette on Figueroa’s second RBI of the day. Augusta’s bottom of the order set the tone all afternoon long, combining to go 4-9 with two runs, two RBI, and three free passes between Guscette, Mason Guerra and Figueroa.
Luis Arestigueta took the ball from Corona after the fifth and delivered some of his most efficient work since joining the GreenJackets last August. The 19-year-old earned his first professional save with four scoreless innings, striking out five and never allowing the Shorebirds any hope over the final few frames.
With a second straight series win in their back pocket, Augusta now heads south to continue this lengthy road trip against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Atrium Health Ballpark. It will be the first of two trips to Kannapolis this season for Augusta, who will see the Ballers 18 times in total. Delmarva will embark on a two-week trek of their own, going to Fayetteville and then Myrtle Beach on a Southern swing. The Jackets and Shorebirds will not meet again this season.
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