Janas records 23rd multi-hit game of season in July 14 loss

(Story courtesy Augusta GreenJackets. File photo by Mike Adams/Augusta Good News)

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – The Augusta GreenJackets found baserunners hard to come by, as they dropped the series opener to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 5-2 at Segra Stadium.

In a matchup of teams hungry for a win, Fayetteville (6-9, 36-45) scored three runs in the first, while Augusta (7-9, 38-43) was held to just three hits in the contest. 

Before the game, the GreenJackets announced that Jorge Bautista and Spencer Schwellenbach had been promoted to High-A Rome. Bautista and Schwellenbach had a combined eight quality starts, the most of any teammate pair in the Carolina League.

The GreenJackets and Woodpeckers began their only series of the season, a three-game weekend affair, under a beautiful North Carolina sky. However, it was the home Woodpeckers who began on the front foot, as they plated three runs in the first off of Tyree Thompson. It was Thompson’s first start since June 18th, 2021, and he settled down after the first frame, giving up two hits over the next three innings of work. Thompson finished his outing with one out in the fifth, going 4.1 innings and striking out eight. 

Meanwhile, Augusta struggled mightily against Fayetteville starter Tyler Guilfoil, who only surrendered one hit in his five innings of work. After Ronaldo Alesandro entered in the bottom of the fifth and finished a clean frame, Augusta broke through for the first time. With Jose Fleury on the mound, Cory Acton drew a leadoff walk and stole second, before Justin Janas doubled him home. The hosts extended their lead on a two-run homer from Garrett McGowan in the bottom of the sixth, making it a 5-1 ballgame. 

The GreenJackets drew one run closer on Jair Casanova’s RBI single in the top of the seventh, but that would be all the scoring in the contest. Darling Florentino entered and worked two scoreless innings, but the score of 5-2 would hold the rest of the way. Janas recorded two of Augusta’s three hits in the loss.

Augusta remains in Fayetteville for two more games before returning home on Tuesday to take on the Fredericksburg Nationals for six games. To purchase tickets and learn more about next week’s homestand, visit https://www.milb.com/augusta/fans/gj-homestand-preview.