(Story courtesy Augusta GreenJackets)
NORTH AUGUSTA – The GreenJackets put men in scoring position in six of nine innings, but could not bring one home as they were shut out by the Delmarva Shorebirds 6-0 on Friday night.
The loss put a damper on what was an absolutely brilliant Single-A debut for prospect Briggs McKenzie, as the lefty emerged from the FCL and dominated through five scoreless innings. McKenzie allowed just one hit, and struck out eight men as he carved through a red-hot Shorebirds lineup.
While McKenzie pushed through his debut, Delmarva (20-35) got an equally impressive outing from Stephen Still, as he kept the Jackets off the board through 5.2 innings. Still worked around plenty of damage, thanks in part to a pair of errors, but got three outs on the bases from Augusta (30-25) to help his cause. The GreenJackets ended the night 0-10 with runners in scoring position, their most at bats without a hit in those spots this year.
Both starters departed with the game still scoreless, and Delmarva’s bullpen outclassed Augusta’s in order to take the win. Landon Beidelschies posted a zero in the sixth, but could not survive the seventh as the Shorebirds broke through. Two walks and an infield single loaded the bases, and Miguel Rodriguez shot a soft liner up the middle to plate two. Jose Perez followed with a base hit of his own, and the Shorebirds took a late lead they would carry through the ninth.
Three Delmarva relievers each worked scoreless innings, and secured the team’s first shutout of 2026. Brendan Parks picked up the win, while Eccel Correa and Zac Lampton each fended off Augusta late to hold the lead. The Shorebirds scored three in the top of the 9th, highlighted by Jaiden Lo Re’s first Single-A homer, and made the final score much more lopsided than the first six innings would have suggested.
The GreenJackets have lost three straight games for the first time since May 6-8, while Delmarva has won three in a row for the first time since the exact same stretch. With three straight victories secured, the Shorebirds now turn their attention to the weekend, as they have a chance to pick up their first series win since they took four of six from the Wilson Warbirds back in April. First pitch of Saturday’s game is at 6:35 p.m., with SRP Park hosting Harry Potter Night and the GreenJackets donning Gryffindor-inspired uniforms on the field.
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