Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets
NORTH AUGUSTA – Firefly reliever Mason Miller made just one true mistake in his 2.1 innings, but a hanging changeup to Harry Owen was launched off the pillars holding up the SRP Park videoboard, completing the comeback and handing the GreenJackets a 5-4 win.
Owen had just one homer in 42 games entering the week but has now launched two in his last three games over the left field wall at his home park. The bomb put the GreenJackets in front for the first time all game, and handed Miller his first Single-A loss.
The Fireflies started the offense early, taking advantage of shaky command from young starter Carter Holton in his pro debut. Holton struck out three and allowed just one hit in two innings, but walked four batters, three of which scored. The lone hit was a 2-RBI single from Colton Becker, and back-to-back innings of 20-plus pitches ended his debut.
Columbia tacked one more on in the third, as Owen Hackman came out of the pen as a piggyback arm. Hackman allowed a two-out walk to Austin Charles, who then scored from first on a long single to the gap from Carter Frederick. Hackman would settle in from there, working three scoreless innings after the fourth to keep Augusta in the game.
The ‘Jackets would cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third against starter Hiro Wyatt, using a two-run single from Will Verdung to get themselves on the board. Augusta had two on and two out after the single, but Titus Dumitru was caught stealing on the back half of a double steal to end the inning. All told, Columbia catcher Dionmy Salon threw out three runners on the night, all in the five innings where Wyatt was on the mound.
Wyatt departed in favor of Miller after the fifth, and Augusta manufactured a run on two hits and a Jake Steels sac fly to come within a run late. The final three innings were handled on the mound by Reibyn Corona, who did not allow a run and, following Owen’s game-changing homer, posted a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his fourth win of the year and first since June 8.
Tomorrow, the excitement builds on the mound as top prospect Cam Caminiti, Atlanta’s first rounder from this year’s MLB Draft, makes his professional debut on the hill at SRP Park. Caminiti is already ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Braves’ system, and tonight was placed on MLB Pipeline’s list of Top 100 Prospects across all 30 organizations. First pitch for Saturday’s game is scheduled at 6:35 p.m., and tickets are available at the SRP Park Box Office or at greenjacketsbaseball.com.
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