(Story courtesy Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets)
NORTH AUGUSTA – The Fayetteville Woodpeckers took a 1-0 lead three batters into the first inning and did not relinquish the advantage for the rest of the night, posting an 8-2 wire-to-wire victory over the GreenJackets Thursday night.
Kadon Morton took the ball in his fifth start of the year with the GreenJackets and retired the first two batters he faced, but Alejandro Nunez, who was added to the lineup an hour before first pitch when Kenni Gomez was scratched, crushed the first pitch he saw over the fence in right for a solo homer and 1-0 lead.
The Woodpeckers would double the total in the third, as Alberto Hernandez launched another two-out solo shot off of Morton. Fayetteville taxed Morton for three more in the fifth, closing his night and handing the righty his third loss of the year.
While the Woodpeckers went to work against Kadon Morton, Augusta’s offense was unable to solve starter Alain Peña across five scoreless innings. Peña scattered four hits and struck out five, stranding the bases loaded in the third as he weaved his way out of the only troublesome situation he found himself in. Peña took the win, his third this season, and has now thrown nine scoreless innings across two appearances against the GreenJackets.
When both sides took to the bullpen, it looked initially as though the GreenJackets had an edge. LJ McDonough came on and worked a pair of scoreless innings behind Morton, tying his career high with five strikeouts in just eight batters faced. Meanwhile, Fayetteville turned to Julio Marte, who had been through a volatile first season with the Woodpeckers to this point. Marte struggled to settle in, allowing the first three men he faced to reach and Jacob Godman to knock a two-run single that put Augusta on the board. Marte would allow none further in the frame but appeared to be on thin ice going forward.
The GreenJackets’ momentum was short-lived, however, as the wheels began to fall apart in the seventh. A walk and two singles scored a run for Fayetteville and ended the evening for a frustrated McDonough, who was ejected as he walked off the mound for barking at a home plate umpire that both sides voiced displeasure with all game long.
Juan Sanchez was summoned and stranded one of two runners, but the damage was done. Marte settled in further and did not allow a hit in his last three innings, and the Woodpeckers secured an 8-2 win as Marte recorded his first stateside save.
On Friday, the GreenJackets transform into the Pavos Salvajes de Augusta as part of MiLB’s Copa de Diversion program celebrating Hispanic communities in towns and cities across Minor League Baseball. It will be the third time Augusta dons the orange and black uniforms of that identity, looking for their first win after a loss and a postponement previously.
Augusta Good News is an award-winning member of the Georgia Press Association. Sign up for the weekly newsletter here.
