(Story courtesy Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets)
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Every starter in the GreenJackets’ lineup reached base at least once as Augusta uncorked 10 runs on 11 hits in a 10-2 thrashing of the Columbia Fireflies Monday evening.
Coming off back to back wins to end the previous homestand, the ‘Jackets were keen to start off hot, and that’s exactly what occurred in the second inning. Kade Kern led off with a single and stole second, with Cam Magee following up with an infield knock to put two on and one out. After a wild pitch from starter Logan Martin put both in scoring position, Jacob Godman’s groundout broke the ice, and Leiker Figueroa nubbed a single over second base for a 2-0 lead after the second.
Adel Dilone took the ball in his second start of the season after working as a reliever for the first half, and battled through command issues to post a solid outing. Dilone fired a career-high 4.2 innings, allowing three hits and four walks but just two runs, one of which came on the first homer of the year from Hyungchan Um. When Dilone ran out of gas with two outs in the fifth, Wynston Sawyer entrusted Albert Rivas with the ball in his full-season debut, and he immediately stranded the runner to begin what would become a phenomenal first outing.
Rivas was called up last Friday to assist a beleaguered bullpen, cracking through to the GreenJacket roster after parts of three seasons in the Florida Complex League. Rivas immediately impressed, allowing just one baserunner via an infield single across 3.1 scoreless innings. Rivas saw no solid contact, and picked up the win in his Single-A debut as an added bonus.
Offensively, a series of multi-run innings by Augusta pushed the lead to an insurmountable number for the Fireflies. The Jackets scored three in the fifth, two in the sixth, and three more in the 8th against Martin, Doug Kirkland, and Yimi Presinal. Support came from across the order, as leadoff hitter Isaiah Drake, cleanup man Kade Kern, and nine-hole Robert Gonzalez all had hits that brought in multiple runners. The ten-run barrage ties the season high in runs, which came exactly one month ago in Fayetteville.
On Tuesday, young starter Jeremy Reyes looks to bounce back from a command-deficient outing last week to take the ball against the Fireflies for the first time. He will face off against Jonatan Bernal, a 21-year-old righty who gets his second start at the Single-A level.
The Jackets return home on Thursday for a nine-game homestand, facing the Fireflies for 3 and then the Fayetteville Woodpeckers for six. Fireworks will be shot on the fourth and sixth, as we celebrate Independence Day at SRP Park. Tickets and more info about all the exciting things happening at SRP Park can be found at greenjacketsbaseball.com.
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