By Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets
CHARLESTON, S.C. – A three-run ninth brought the tying run to the plate with two outs against Jackson Dannelley, but the righty induced a game-ending ground ball to survive the tide and hand Augusta a 9-8 victory.
Offense came fast and furious for both teams, with Charleston spoiling the early portions of Landon Beidelschies’ pro debut by tagging him for two in the first. Narciso Polanco and Connor Hujsak began the run with singles, and a base hit from Brody Donay scored Polanco and moved Hujsak to third. Beidelschies would balk in Hujsak from third, doubling the early lead.
Augusta wasted no time in retaliating, scoring a pair to tie the game against ace Jose Urbina. Urbina let two men aboard with a pair of free passes, and Douglas Glod drilled a double to left to put the Jackets on the board. Urbina seemed poised to stay in front, but a passed ball on Donay scored the tying run with two outs.
The Jackets would take their first lead in the top of the third, as Owen Carey crushed his first homer since May 6, a 410-foot blast to go up 3-2. The lead would last just two batters in the next frame, though, as Brailer Guerrero hit a two-run shot off of Beidelschies to go back in front.
Augusta broke through the dam in a big way in the top of the fifth, jumping on the bullpen and reliever Andy Rodriguez. Joe Olsavsky led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch, and tied the game on a knock from Hayden Friese. A fielder’s choice and walk put two men on with one out, before a crucial error on Yirer Garcia allowed the go-ahead run to score. John Gil added insurance with an RBI base hit, and Dixon Williams capped the five-run frame with a 2-RBI triple off of Mason Nichols.
The bullpen would hold firm in the middle of the game, as Jalen Paden and Albert Rivas allowed just one run in four innings between the fourth and seventh. Augusta’s offense went equally dormant, but utilized a sac fly from Carey to take a 9-5 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
Jackson Dannelley had put away the side in the bottom of the eighth, and seemed poised for a stress-free ninth after he retired two of the first three men he saw. The inning extended, however, when Hujsak beat out an infield single to third that kept the inning going. The spark of hope burst into a blaze on the very next pitch, as Donay capped a four-hit night with his first pro homer, a three-run shot that brought the Dogs within a run. After a visit from Elvin Nina, Dannelley regained composure, and got the final out off the bat of Garcia for his second pro save.
The Jackets have now won back-to-back games, and have a chance to secure the season series against Charleston tomorrow night. Sunday’s game will be the final road contest of the year, a 5:05 p.m. start with Jacob Shafer on the mound for the GreenJackets.
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