(Story courtesy Augusta GreenJackets)
NORTH AUGUSTA – Down to their final five outs, the Augusta GreenJackets rallied for two in the eighth inning to halt the Kannapolis win streak at four and snag a 4-3 victory at SRP Park.
In an increasingly common occurrence this season, the game started with a pitcher’s duel, as Augusta received a great outing from its starter but could not muster much offense against his counterpart. Luis Vargas and Jake Peppers went toe to toe, and both were stellar across lengthy starts.
Vargas threw five innings with a career-high 12 strikeouts, running his fastball up to 98 mph and mixing in a stealthy slider to keep Cannon Baller hitters guessing. Peppers worked into the 7th for the first time in his pro career, changing speeds and using a fantastic pickoff move to keep the ‘Jackets at bay.
The GreenJackets scored in the first inning for the first time this homestand, plating two against Peppers without producing a hit. Peppers began the game with nine straight balls, walking Isaiah Drake and Jace Grady to begin the day. A wild pitch moved both up 90 feet, and Drake would score on a shallow sac fly from Drew Compton, beating the throw from shortstop Ryan Burrowes. Grady came home on a Will Verdung groundout, setting the scene early.
Vargas had his swing and miss stuff working early, showing previously untouched velocity and holding 96 late into the game, peaking at 98 in the second trip through the order. Kannapolis would not the game, however, on a two run double from Ryan Galanie that scored Wilber Sanchez and Rikuu Nishida with two outs in the third. Vargas would go five innings for the second straight start, settling back into the rotation after beginning the year in the bullpen.
Three pitches after Vargas departed, Kannapolis took their first lead of the night. Reliever Adel Dilone received a rude greeting from Galanie, who crushed a hanging cutter over the wall in left-center field to make the game 3-2. With some assistance from his defense, paced by Isaiah Drake in center, Dilone would right the ship and turn in three solid innings with no further issues to set the stage for the eighth inning.
Augusta threatened occasionally across the night against Peppers, but two pickoffs from the starter negated those rally early. When Peppers was replaced by Nick Altermatt with two on in the seventh, Altermatt continued the trend, striking out Kade Kern and picking off both Luis Sanchez and Diego Benitez at second base to keep the Cannon Ballers in front.
Augusta took control in the eighth beginning with an error, as a hard grounder to third escaped the glove of Arxy Hernandez to put Harry Owen at first as the tying run. Drake roped a single to center to put the go-ahead run on, and Owen was subsequently replaced with a pinch runner in the form of Robert Gonzalez. Grady came to the dish with a chance to be a hero, and he delivered, throttling a fastball to deep right-center field to score both Gonzalez and Drake and give Augusta the lead.
Zack Austin was summoned to close the game, looking for his first of the season. Austin did not make it easy, as a walk and hit by pitch but the tying and go ahead runs on base, but Austin forced Ryan Burrowes to pop out to right field to end the game. Dilone improved to 3-1 with the win, while Altermatt fell to 2-2.
Austin earned his first save of 2024 and second of his career to even the series at one apiece. Davis Polo and Aldrin Batista will be the respective starters Thursday night, as Augusta takes the field as the Pavos Salvajes de Augusta for the second time this year.
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