(Story courtesy Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets)
SALEM, Va. – Extra base hits have been hard to come by all series, but three well-timed ones from Salem in the middle innings led the charge in a 10-4 win for the Sox over the GreenJackets Friday night.
The GreenJackets found the scoreboard early, looking to continue the week’s trend of the team that scored first winning the game outright. Augusta didn’t manage a hit in the first off of starter Noah Dean, but a leadoff walk from Cam Magee and three separate wild pitches got the Jackets on the board early. The GreenJackets doubled the lead in the top of the fourth, with Will Verdung reaching via a leadoff walk and scoring on a two-out single from catcher Harry Owen.
Adam Maier cruised through the first three innings of work, allowing just one baserunner that came via an E6 in the third. The fourth inning proved substantially more challenging, with Salem’s bats heating up in the second trip through the order. Brooks Brannon began the fourth with a single (his first of three hits on the night), and the wheels began to turn. five of the first six batters in the inning reached, including a double off the fence from Nelly Taylor, and each of the first four scored to give Salem a lead they would not relinquish.
Maier would attempt to return to the mound for the fifth, but after two of the first three men reached base, Maier’s night was finished. Both inherited runners scored against reliever Kadon Morton, pushing the lead to 6-2. The Sox added four more in the sixth off of Morton, with Antonio Anderson roping an RBI double and Taylor launching his third homer of the season over the high wall in right to give the Red Sox an 8-run cushion and a 10-2 lead.
The GreenJackets offense was blanked for most of the back half of the ballgame against Dean and Francis Hernandez, although Augusta did add two runs in the eighth off of Max Carlson thanks to a two-run error off the bat of Jeremy Celedonio. Defense has been the consistent shortcoming this week for Salem, with 10 errors in four games, but it would not prove to be their undoing this evening as they held firm for a 10-4 win.
Maier takes his fourth loss of the season, having loss each of his last three decisions across five starts. Noah Dean gets his first win of 2024 in appearance number 11 on the campaign, improving to 1-2. The two sides will battle in a 6 p.m. start Saturday during what is slated to be arguably the hottest day of the year so far in Salem. Expected temperatures sit in the low-to-mid 90s, with humidity pushing the feel to triple digits. Garrett Baumann seems to be the ideal man to toe the rubber, as the Florida native has plenty of experience throwing in the summer sun. He’ll match up with Ovis Portes, who will be on a short leash in his 3rd start of the year with Salem and will have Trennor O’Donnell to piggyback behind him.
The GreenJackets will be back at home beginning Tuesday for a six-game series against the Charleston RiverDogs, who they host for the second time this season. Key moments of the upcoming homestand include Pickleball Night, Faith & Family Night and Pirates of the Savannah River Night. Tickets and more info about all the things happening at SRP Park can be found at greenjacketsbaseball.com.
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