(Story courtesy Augusta GreenJackets)
NORTH AUGUSTA – Aiven Cabral worked five one-run innings in relief, and the offense scored six in its final four chances to erase an early deficit and take the series opener from Charleston 6-3 on May 5.
Cabral’s five fabulous frames came on the heels of Logan Forsythe, who went a career-high four innings in his third start of the year despite a rocky start. Forsythe gave the lead to the Perros Santos de Charleston (17-11) two batters into the game, with Dean Moss working a leadoff walk before Caden Bodine shot a double the other way to score Moss and open the game.
Forsythe locked in to escape the first and post a zero in the second, but the top of the order got to him again in the top of the third. Bodine again hit a flare down the left field line for a two-out double, and Cooper Flemming went the same direction for a two-bagger of his own to double the lead. Forsythe would once again return with a zero in the fourth, his longest outing of the year before passing the ball off.
The Pavos Salvajes de Augusta (15-13) were unable to get the bats going early against Dominic Fritton, mustering a hit in each of the first three frames but not pushing a man past first base. It was not until Cabral came on and posted a zero in the top of the fifth that the bats went to work, as the back half of the order awoke first. Dalton McIntyre worked a leadoff walk in the bottom half, and Cooper McMurray hit a laser the other way that just cleared the wall in left for his second homer of the year. Fritton would depart after the inning, with the game tied at two apiece.
Mason Auer was the first reliever up for Charleston, and he received a rude greeting in the sixth. Tate Southisene greeted him with a single, before Auer hit Alex Lodise to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Nick Montgomery walked to load the bases, and McIntyre stayed hot with a two-RBI single the other way for the lead. McMurray followed with a run-scoring grounder, and the lead was three after six.
Cabral was methodical in his dismantling of a very strong Charleston lineup, getting 11 outs in his first 11 hitters as he carved through a wave of lefties. Charleston would threaten in the eighth, scoring a run on another Bodine base hit and loading the bags with two outs, but Cabral stayed poised and punched out Daniel Pierce with a diving slider to keep the Pavos in front.
Augusta got the run back on an RBI knock from Montgomery in the bottom half, and Cabral retired the side in the ninth on less than 10 pitches to quickly bring the game to a close. The win was Cabral’s fourth in a row, tying him for the league lead as he continues to be a unique weapon in relief for the Pavos.
There is no time for Augusta to rest on its laurels, with an 11:05 a.m. Education Day on tap for Wednesday. Derek Vartanian takes the hill for the GreenJackets in his continued quest for his first professional win, matched against Charleston’s Ethan Storm.
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