(Story courtesy Augusta GreenJackets)
NORTH AUGUSTA – April showers may bring May flowers, but on Sunday, they also brought a GreenJackets’ win as Augusta knocked off the Mudcats 3-1 in six innings. The game was called due to consistent rainfall and puddles forming in the infield at SRP Park.
A pitcher’s duel unfolded early, as starters Riley Frey and Yorman Galindez went toe to toe through four scoreless frames. Frey allowed three hits and a walk during the timeframe, but stranded five men on base in the first two innings thanks to some timely strikeouts. Galindez took it a step further, striking out seven and posting four hitless frames of work.
Both sides broke through the dam in the fifth, as Miguel Briceño led off the inning with a single, got to third on a balk and a bouncer, then came home as an unearned run when Jacob Godman’s pickoff throw sailed into left field.
With Galindez pulled to begin the fifth and replaced by southpaw Osbriel Mogollon, the Jackets saw an opening and took it. Robert Gonzalez reached on a missed catch error from first baseman David Garcia, and both P-O boucher and Jacob Godman worked walks to load the bases.
The big blow was delivered by Joe Olsavsky, in just his second game with the GreenJackets. Olsavsky lashed a first pitch fastball to the left field corner, scoring two and giving Augusta the lead. Godman was thrown out trying to score, but Olsavsky scored one batter later thanks to a single from Luis Sanchez.
Luis Vargas took over for Frey in the sixth and posted a hitless frame in what would prove to be the final one of the ballgame. The GreenJackets mustered a double in two batters in the sixth, but the game was called and finalized after a lengthy meeting between the umpires, managers, and groundskeepers.
Riley Frey earned his second professional win and first of 2024 with five innings thrown and one unearned run allowed. The loss went to Mogollon, his first run of the year, although just one of the three runs charged to him were earned. Luis Vargas earned his first save since 2021 with his scoreless sixth.
Augusta next heads to Columbia for a six-game road trip against the Fireflies. Columbia is hosting an Education Day on Tuesday, meaning first pitch is at 11:05 a.m. Listen to GreenJackets road games on GJ Radio for free at greenjacketsbaseball.com.
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