Story courtesy Augusta GreenJackets
NORTH AUGUSTA — In a seesaw contest that saw both teams hold leads for multiple innings, it was second baseman Cam Magee who produced the game-winning hit, with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th to finalize a 5-4 win April 6 at SRP Park.
Magee’s single was his second knock of the ballgame in his first appearance of the year. The win secured an opening weekend series victory for the GreenJackets over their closest geographic rivals.
The day began with heavy excitement, as Braves’ No. 18 prospect Adam Maier made his much-anticipated professional debut. Maier was tagged for two runs in the first, but settled in quickly, working three consecutive scoreless frames with five strikeouts after inning number one.
Augusta got the two runs back quickly, beginning in the second when Luis Sanchez worked a leadoff single. Sanchez advanced to third on an errant pickoff attempt from catcher Dionmy Salon and scored on Kade Kern’s sacrifice fly. The ‘Jackets tied the game in the third when Jace Grady roped a double down the left field line, and scored one batter later on a Diego Benitez single.
The Jackets took the lead for the first time in the fifth, after a P-O Boucher triple scored Cam Magee, and Boucher himself scored one batter later, on an Isaiah Drake sacrifice fly. The fifth would mark the end of the day for Fireflies starter Emmanuel Reyes, who worked five innings and was charged with four runs (three earned).
Seth Keller and LJ McDonough combined for three innings of one-run relief behind Maier, while Jarold Rosado and Chase Isbell did not allow a hit in their three frames following Reyes.
Columbia knotted the game up in the eighth, facing off against Beau Philip, a converted shortstop who made his professional pitching debut. Derlin Figueroa led off the inning with a double, and moved up to second on a ground ball from Salon. Jhonny Perdomo put a strong swing on a ball up the middle, that nicked off the glove of Benitez at short and brought a runner home. After Philip and Fireflies’ reliever Doug Kirkland each worked a scoreless ninth, the game headed to extras.
Reibyn Corona came on for the 10th, for just his second relief appearance of his professional career. Corona locked in immediately, striking out all three batters he faced and stranding the automatic runner at second. In the bottom half, Alexander Martinez took to second base as the automatic runner, and Cam Magee flicked a two-strike fastball in front of the left fielder to allow Martinez to score.
Corona earned the win, his first at the Single-A level, while Kirkland took the tough-luck loss despite not allowing an earned run. It was the second sellout in as many days at SRP Park, with 5,203 fans crowding in for a Saturday night spectacular that preceded a fireworks show.
The two sides wrap up the three-game set Sunday at 5:05 p.m.. Lefty Mitch Farris makes his first start of the season, while the Fireflies counter with Felix Arronde in an attempt to avoid a sweep. Gates will open at 4:00, and the first 1,000 fans will receive a GreenJackets 2024 Magnet Schedule courtesy of Floor & Décor.
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