(Story courtesy and photo of Jared Johnson courtesy Augusta GreenJackets.)
NORTH AUGUSTA – The Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves) had an 8-5 lead in the top of the ninth, but the Carolina Mudcats (Milwaukee Brewers) scored three in the ninth and four in the tenth to secure the series split. They beat the Jackets 12-9 June 18 at SRP Park.
Augusta (30-33) gave up a season-high 19 hits while the Mudcats (33-28) homered three times to secure the dramatic victory.
Augusta started off strongly, as Bryson Worrell singled home Ethan Workinger and Justin Janas before a Jeremy Celedonio double made it 3-0 after one. The Mudcats got all three runs back on a Jesus Parra homer in the top of the frame, tying the ballgame, but Augusta would retake the lead in the bottom of the third on a wild pitch. GreenJackets starter Jared Johnson matched his season high with a 3.2 inning start, also giving up eight hits.
In the bottom of the fifth, Bryson Worrell struck again, hitting his third homer of the season to make it 5-3. Once again, the Mudcats scrapped one back on a two-out double in the next frame, but the GreenJackets responded in kind in the bottom of the sixth. After Tyler Collins doubled, Ambioris Tavarez doubled him home, before Justin Janas notched his second hit on the day to score Tavarez. At 7-4, Augusta led comfortably going into the eighth, before Darling Florentino allowed a run to score. Florentino was able to recover to strand a pair on base after allowing three straight hits to start the inning, before Augusta pushed the lead back to three on an Ethan Workinger RBI.
Elison Joseph entered in the top of the ninth with a three run cushion, but walked the first batter and gave up a long home run to Hedbert Perez immediately thereafter. After striking out the next two batters, Joseph had the Mudcats down to their final out, but gave up a two-strike home run to Jadher Areinamo to tie the game at 8.
Augusta went scoreless in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings for the second straight evening. Unlike their Saturday win, the GreenJackets could not keep the Mudcats off the board, as the visitors scored four times in the frame off Estarlin Rodriguez to take a 12-8 lead. Augusta got one run back in the bottom of the tenth on a Tyler Collins groundout but could not complete a comeback.
Workinger finished the series with 12 runs batted in, the most for a GreenJackets player in a single series this year. The 19 hits recorded by the Mudcats on Sunday was the most given up by Augusta in a single game since Charleston recorded 21 in August 2022.
The GreenJackets head on the road for two weeks to visit Delmarva (Baltimore Orioles) and Columbia (Kansas City Royals), before returning to SRP Park for a Fourth of July Fireworks Extravaganza. For tickets and more, go to greenjacketsbaseball.com.
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