(Story courtesy Augusta GreenJackets)
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Augusta GreenJackets (34-30, 69-61) scored four in their first two innings against the Charleston RiverDogs (36-29, 73-58) but were unable to add on after that as the Dogs rallied late to snatch a 6-4 victory in the penultimate game of the season.
For the first time this week, the Augusta bats were alive early, jumping on starter Ethan Storm to take a healthy lead in their first two frames. Storm issued back-to-back walks to start the night, and Augusta scored less than a batter later as a double steal led to a throwing error to score Manuel Campos. Cooper McMurray followed up with a sacrifice fly, plating multiple runs against a starter for the first time this week.
The Jackets doubled down in the second, allowing the bottom of the order to set the table before striking with two outs. Yamvier Carrero and Junior Tilien, both of whom reached four times in the game, each singled before Manuel Campos roped a two-run triple to right for a 4-0 lead.
Charleston snapped into form in the second inning, cutting into a deficit they would eventually overcome against Luis Arestigueta. After a 1-2-3 first, Arestigueta allowed five baserunners in the second, with RBI singles from JD Gonzalez and Slater de Brun halving the deficit. Taitn Gray began the next inning with a solo homer, and though Arestigueta did not allow another run, he still departed shy of five innings with a slim one-run lead.
After Augusta scored four in the first two innings, the Jackets could not cross another runner on the day. Storm settled in for three hitless innings to finish his night, before Efrailin Ramos and Riley Stanford tossed three scoreless innings in relief.
The RiverDogs continuously knocked on the door in the middle innings, and finally broke through against Nico Wagner in the bottom of the seventh. Wagner hit de Brun to start the frame, and the speedster promptly stole second before taking third on a throwing error. Grady Emerson tied the ballgame one batter later on a sacrifice fly, and Tom Poole put Charleston in front with a two-out single that scored Taitn Gray from second.
Charleston added an extra run of insurance in the bottom of the eighth, and after the Jackets left the tying run on base against Stanford in the penultimate inning, star closer Yereny Teus rolled through the final inning to secure the fourth win in five games for the RiverDogs at home.
The final game of the season is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. Sunday at Joseph P Riley Park in Charleston. Will Holmes, who spent five years calling Riley Park home in college at The Citadel, returns home to wrap up the year against Alex Wallace and the RiverDogs.
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