(Story courtesy Augusta GreenJackets)
NORTH AUGUSTA – The Augusta Soul (36-31, 1-0) identity made its official on-field debut, and may never be allowed to leave, as Augusta posted 16 runs on 16 hits in a crushing defeat of the Hill City Howlers (31-36, 0-1) Friday evening.
While eight of nine starters reached multiple times in the game, Junior Garcia was the most impactful star, reaching base in all five plate appearances and totaling a career-high seven RBIs. Garcia finished a triple shy of the cycle, and had two 3-RBI swings including a long opposite-field homer as he produced more runs than any Augusta player has this year.
Garcia was far from alone in his success, as Alex Lodise continued his dominant week with his third multi-homer game of the season. Lodise has now homered four times in his last three games, and picked up three extra base hits tonight as his brilliant month of June continues. Luis Guanipa also added four hits on the day, while Tanner Smith had three hits including a home run in the back half of the order.
Hill City’s tough week on the mound continued, as starter Ryan DeSanto gave up four hits and five walks while becoming the third starter this week to toss three innings or less for the Howlers. Hill City has now walked nine men or more in every game this week, and have totaled 39 walks in 31 innings at SRP Park.
Landon Beidelschies was solid in four innings as the Soul starter, but it was Adiel Melendez who earned the win in relief. Melendez tossed a career-high three innings, allowing just one hit and keeping his opponent scoreless for the fifth straight time. Also impressive on the mound was Daniel Brooks, who tossed his third straight scoreless outing to begin his Single-A career and struck out three of the four batters he faced.
The Augusta Soul are back on the field Saturday for the second and final time this year, before the jerseys are auctioned off for charitable benefit. Jeremy Reyes returns to Augusta to take the ball for the Soul, after spending two months in the rotation at High-A Rome. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with postgame fireworks set to follow the game’s final out.
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