Story by Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets
NORTH AUGUSTA — The GreenJackets collected 10 hits and four free bases, but struggled to get the necessary result in crucial spots as they fell in a 3-2 heartbreaker against the Charleston RiverDogs Thursday night.
The day began with a pitchers’ duel, not uncommon between these two teams, as Kendy Richard and Ryan Andrade matched each other stride for stride through four innings. It was a career day for Richard, as he went a personal best six innings in just his second Single-A start, and did not allow a run as he flummoxed RiverDog hitters one after the next.
Augusta finally broke through in the fifth, with the bottom of the order leading the charge against Andrade. Colin Burgess clubbed the first pitch of the inning to left for a single, then went first to third on an opposite field blooper from Joe Olsavsky. John Gil poked a fielder’s choice to score the game’s first run, and a two-out knock from Dixon Williams kept the inning going. Andrade would dial in and strike out Nick Montgomery, however, to strand two runners one inning after he left the bases loaded.
Richard was lifted after the sixth, and Charleston immediately attacked reliever Jhonly Taveras in his first frame. Taveras allowed back-to-back walks to start the inning, and the tying run would score quickly as Ryan McCoy rocked a game-tying double to right. Alberth Palma followed up, and yanked a two-run single down the left field corridor to put Charleston in front for the first time all game.
Augusta looked to retaliate against reliever Jayden Voelker in the bottom half, as once again Burgess set the table with a leadoff double. He would score in the next at bat, as Olsavsky sped a single past the infield. A Gil hit by pitch set the stage for a game-tying swing, but a ground ball from Owen Carey turned nightmarish when a pair of baserunning gaffes from Olsavsky and Gil led to both being tagged out in rundowns, squandering a game-tying chance.
Augusta threatened again in the eighth, putting men at first and second with nobody out, but closer Jonathan Russell came on and induced a back-breaking double play from Douglas Glod, before forcing Dallas Macias to line out to the warning track to end the inning. The Jackets put the tying run on again in the ninth, courtesy of a two-out double from Gil, but Carey got underneath a center-cut fastball from Russell and popped out to end the inning.
The GreenJackets look to bounce back Friday with Jeremy Reyes on the mound, who has had a very strong second half. Charleston counters with Andres Galan, who has been on a roll since Augusta battered him around at SRP Park back in April, but was hit hard by Myrtle Beach last time out.
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