(Story courtesy the Augusta GreenJackets)
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. – For the second day in a row, the GreenJackets were their own worst enemies, as self-inflicted errors assisted Kannapolis in a 5-1 victory. Augusta made four more errors April 10, and their 11 over the last two games is the most in a two-game span in the last ten years.
Starting pitchers Davis Polo and Jake Peppers went blow for blow in the early aughts, but it was Kannapolis who struck first off of Polo. Arxy Hernandez led off the bottom of the second with a triple off the wall, and was brought home the very next batter by a Ronny Hernandez ground ball. The run would be the only one issued by Polo across 3.1 innings of work.
Peppers was fantastic, continuing a run of strong starting early in this series from Kannapolis. Peppers matched the line posted by last night’s starter Drew McDaniel, going five innings without allowing a run.
Kannapolis tacked on another in the bottom of the fifth, as the bases were loaded thanks to a pair of walks and a single off of reliever Luis Vargas. With two outs, Ronny Hernandez worked a bases-loaded walk and brought home the second run of the day.
The ‘Jackets mustered their lone run in the top of the sixth, after Diego Benitez worked a one-out walk off of reliever Mark McLaughlin. Drew Compton then stepped up and swatted the first of two doubles he hit on the day, scoring Benitez to cut the deficit in half. McLaughlin followed by inducing a pair of hard hit outs to end the threat with the tying run on base.
Kannapolis added three runs in their final two innings, taking advantage of a Leiker Figueroa throwing error to score a pair of unearned runs in the eighth off of Reibyn Corona, and adding one more off of Corona with a solo homer from Matt Hogan, the first home run allowed by a GreenJackets pitcher this season.
The offense was stymied in the final two innings by relievers Billy Seidl and Jesus Mendez, each of whom posted a scoreless inning. The two teams are back at it tomorrow afternoon for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch, with Didier Fuentes making his 2024 debut for the GreenJackets.
Augusta will be back home at SRP Park next Tuesday, April 16, for a six-game homestand against the Carolina Mudcats. The fun-filled week includes Teacher Appreciation Day, Dinosaur Day, and Augusta Rams Night, where the ‘Jackets take the field in special jerseys honoring the 1954 Augusta Rams and Leonard Hunt, the first Black player to play professional baseball in Augusta.
Augusta Good News, a member of the Georgia Press Association, is a local, digital newspaper. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
