NORTH AUGUSTA – The GreenJacket offense created a handful of chances early, but went a combined 1-10 with runners in scoring position as the bats were held firm in a 6-1 loss to Fayetteville Friday evening.
Facing southpaw Yanquiel Sanchez in just his second start of the year with Fayetteville, the GreenJackets were the team to strike first, taking a 1-0 lead in the second. Titus Dumitru worked a one-out walk, and advanced to third on a bloop single from Will Verdung. After a strikeout, Willmer De La Cruz poked a line drive through the right side to put the GreenJackets in front.
Both the lead and the positivity were short-lived, however, as Fayetteville came storming back the very next frame against Owen Hackman in his first professional start. Each of the first four batters of the third inning reached, capped by RBI doubles from Joseph Sullivan and Trevor Austin to put the Woodpeckers in front. Hackman would settle down to strand Austin and posted a scoreless fourth but would still take his second loss in as many games.
Sanchez’s day ended after the second, and Fayetteville’s volatile bullpen was as good as it has ever been. Noted GreenJacket killer Yeriel Santos took the ball, having previously seen Augusta twice with a record of 2-0 in nine scoreless innings. Santos would continue that trend, scattering three hits and two walks to hold Augusta off the board. The Jackets’ best chance against Santos came in the fifth, when John Gil singled, stole second, and advanced on a wild pitch, but Santos recorded three consecutive outs to hold Augusta off the board.
Hackman was succeeded by Adam Shoemaker, coming off of four hitless innings in Charleston last week and looking to continue to stack quality outings. Shoemaker flashed positive developments in his command, but was the victim of some soft contact across 3.2 innings. Fayetteville would add one run apiece in the fifth and sixth thanks to RBI singles from Austin and Will Bush, the latter of which was a routine popup that fell due to miscommunication between Gil and Dumitru.
Shoemaker would be chased in the eighth after a two out single and walk ran his pitch count over 75 for the day. Kadon Morton was summoned on for the second time in three days with men on, and this time could not strand those he inherited. Morton’s first pitch was clobbered by Bush for a ground-rule double to score one, and Max Holy rolled a single through the right side for his third hit and first RBI of the day.
After four scoreless from Santos, the Woodpeckers turned to Rafael Gonzalez in his third outing since being promoted from the FCL. Gonzalez was flawless, dotting the corners with three pitches as he carved the Augusta lineup to the tune of three hitless innings with seven strikeouts. The GreenJackets did not muster a hit after Gil’s single to lead off the fifth and fell victim to the bullpen as Gonzalez picked up his first Single-A save.
With the series now tied at two, the GreenJackets will turn to ace JR Ritchie for Saturday’s 6:05 p.m. start, coming off his second outing of five hitless innings of the year (the first of which came against Fayetteville). The Woodpeckers will entrust the day to Luis Rodriguez, in his second Single-A start and first look at Augusta. Tickets for the week’s slate of games are available at greenjacketsbaseball.com or by calling (803) 349-WINS (9467).
