(Story by Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – Samuel Mejia and Albert Rivas combined to retire all twelve batters they faced in relief, allowing the GreenJacket offense to steal the lead back late for a 5-4 win to open the series against the Cannon Ballers Tuesday.
For the third consecutive game, the Jackets scored in their first trip at bat, taking a 2-0 lead against Justin Sinibaldi before Kannapolis took a chance to swing. John Gil walked and stole second, before taking third on a single from Cody Miller. Gil would dash home on an RBI groundout from Owen Carey, and Dixon Williams spiked a line drive to right to score Miller for the multi-run advantage.
True to form, the Cannon Ballers retaliated immediately against Ethan Bagwell, taking advantage of back-to-back walks to start the first to slash the lead in half. George Wolkow would bring Jordan Sprinkle home on a one-handed infield single, a pitch where a balk was called but wiped out by Wolkow unintentionally putting the ball in play and subsequently beating the first baseman to the bag.
The Cannon Ballers stayed on Bagwell in their second trip through the lineup, working to tie and subsequently take the lead in the third and fourth. Anthony DePino fired an RBI single to score Sprinkle and tie the game in the third, then a costly two-out error from Hayden Friese allowed two runs across for a 4-2 Kannapolis advantage.
The GreenJackets manufactured a run in the top of the sixth to return the deficit to one, as Dixon Williams scored on a wild pitch with two outs. Reliever Pierce George would proceed to walk the bases loaded, but Hale Sims came in from the bullpen and induced a lineout from Eric Hartman to keep the tying run aboard.
Sims’ luck would run out in the seventh, as Miller scored the game-tying run on Carey’s second RBI groundout of the night. Williams followed with a triple off the top of the fence, and one pitch later, a line drive from Luis Guanipa put Augusta in front for good.
There would be no comeback in store for Kannapolis, as Samuel Mejia struck out four of six hitters he faced in the sixth and seventh, before Albert Rivas went six up, six down himself to pick up his fourth save of the year.
The GreenJackets have now won three straight games and nine of their last twelve, as the team looks to finish the year on a high note. Cam Caminiti takes the ball Wednesday, fresh off his first professional win.
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