(Story by Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets)
NORTH AUGUSTA – Both sides had strong pitching throughout the ballgame, but a few early mistakes from Davis Polo were all the offense Down East would need in a 4-0 victory Aug. 2 over the GreenJackets.
Polo returned home for his first start at SRP Park since June 6 and had his command settled early as he struck out a career-high 9 hitters in five innings. Polo retired the first seven men he faced before Chandler Pollard reached on a dropped third strike. Tommy Sprecht reached on a double in the next batter, setting the stage for Down East to strike first. With two outs and two strikes, Echedry Vargas continued his red-hot week by roping a double down the left field line for an early lead.
The Wood Ducks sent lefty Brayan Mendoza to the hill for his first look at Augusta this week, and he was undeniably phenomenal through four frames. Mendoza allowed three hits and struck out five, silencing the GreenJacket bats time and again. Mendoza did not go far enough to earn a decision, but started the process of domination nonetheless.
Down East would double the lead in the fifth, led by a one-out homer from Georgia native Chandler Pollard, his second of the season. Vargas would add a two-out RBI double, his sixth run driven in across four games, to seal up the line for Davis Polo, taking his ninth loss of the season despite the new personal best in punchouts.
Mendoza gave way in the fifth to Thomas Ireland, making his season debut with the Ducks after spending all summer in the Arizona Complex League. Ireland looked as though he had never left Kinston, making his return a triumphant one as he tossed five scoreless frames with five Ks of his own to earn the victory. The GreenJackets did not have an extra base hit against Ireland, with Junior Garcia’s first-inning double the only one of the day.
Kadon Morton and Reibyn Corona each fired two scoreless innings of relief, but the four-run cushion was more than enough given the dominance on the mound. The Jackets’ pitchers totaled 14 strikeouts on the night and have seen their K-rate inflate over this four-game series, despite the substantial offensive output.
On Saturday, JR Ritchie makes his second start of the season at SRP Park, after not allowing a hit in four innings in his home debut a few weeks prior. David Davalillo takes the ball for the Ducks having shown flashes of dominance across a handful of starts. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m., and tickets are available online at greenjacketsbaseball.com or at the box office at SRP Park.
