KINSTON, N.C. – The Augusta GreenJackets (Atlanta Braves) scored the final five runs for the second straight game, using an Ambioris Tavarez double and a Jeremy Celedonio homer to take a 6-3 victory over the Wood Ducks (Texas Rangers) on Saturday.
The Wood Ducks (29-36, 66-60) were held scoreless after the second inning, while the GreenJackets (31-34, 62-68) got tremendous bullpen work while striking out 19 Woodies in the win.
Mitch Farris got the start for Augusta, making his second appearance after a stellar debut a week ago. He worked into trouble in the first, as two contentious plays put a pair of Wood Ducks aboard and also resulted in Cam Magee and Cody Gabella getting ejected. Gleider Figuereo singled in a run before JoJo Blackmon stole home on a double steal, and the Wood Ducks led 2-0 after one.
The GreenJackets got a run back in the second on P-O Boucher’s RBI single – the first of his four hits on the day – but the Wood Ducks pulled the run right back when the debuting Chandler Pollard walked, stole second, and scored on Quincy Scott’s base hit. The score remained 3-1 until the top of the fourth, when Augusta got a two-RBI double from Ambioris Tavarez to tie the game off of Woodies reliever Kohl Drake.
The GreenJackets were not content with the tie, though, and soon thereafter took their first lead. In the top of the fifth and with a man on second, Jeremy Celedonio hit his second homer in as many days to put Augusta on top 5-3. Jace Grady brought in another run with a sacrifice fly an inning later, as Augusta took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth.
Meanwhile, Augusta’s arms continued to shove. Mitch Ferris struck out seven men in 3.1 innings, while Adam Shoemaker fanned six more in 3.2 frames of work while picking up the win. Augusta struck out the final six men in order, with Elison Joseph working the eighth and Landon Harper the ninth. The 19 strikeouts in a single game for Augusta pitchers is the second most in franchise history, which helped to keep the Wood Ducks off the board after the second inning as the ‘Jackets clinched the 6-3 win.
The GreenJackets close out the 2023 season with just one more game on the road against the Down East Wood Ducks (Texas Rangers). All games can be heard on the GreenJackets Radio Network at bit.ly/GJRadio.
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