NORTH AUGUSTA – Jackson Dannelley, Seth Keller, and Trent Buchanan combined for five hitless innings of relief, while Augusta’s bats used a strong fifth inning to steal a 4-3 win from the RiverDogs Friday night.
After struggling to score in big spots last night, the bats came through early for Augusta, taking a lead in the first against Andres Galan. The Jackets used singles from Eric Hartman, Cody Miller, and Dixon Williams to load the bases, and Douglas Glod poked a two-out, two-strike, two-run double to bring home a pair. A sudden pop-up storm would force a 20-minute rain delay immediately after the at bat, but Galan would return to get the final out and strand two.
Charleston would not be deterred by the early setback, and methodically challenged Jeremy Reyes, scoring one run each in the second, third, and fourth innings to take the lead and chase the starter. A sac fly from Yirer Garcia got the RiverDogs on the board in the second, and they would tie the game on Nathan Flewelling’s RBI single with two outs in the third. Reyes looked poised to steal a zero in the fourth, but he walked Garcia with two outs, and after a pair of wild pitches, Jose Monzon continued his hot week by slicing a liner up the middle for the lead.
The GreenJackets stranded Glod at third in the fourth inning against Galan, but would not be deterred in the fifth. Eric Hartman set the stage with a flawless bunt single, and he would steamroll home on a game-tying double from the red-hot Miller. On the very next pitch, Luis Guanipa bounced one off of Galan’s glove and into shallow right, and Miller would use his double-plus speed to sprint home and give the GreenJackets the lead.
Neither offense would have much to say after that, as both bullpens went to work. Dannelley allowed a walk to begin the sixth, but that would be his only blemish in three scoreless innings en route to his fourth win of the year. Seth Keller retired the side in the eighth for a key hold, and Trent Buchanan earned the save with a quick ninth, using a double play to get the game’s final two outs on one swing.
Both the GreenJackets and RiverDogs now have two wins this week, as the sides have alternated victories through the series’ first four games. Both sides will look for an advantage Saturday, as Rayven Antonio looks to continue his dominant defense of his home park against Jacob Kmatz, who the GreenJackets have hit very hard both times they’ve seen him this year.
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