Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — In the lone nine inning game of the week, the Augusta GreenJackets got stellar results from each pitcher they placed on the mound, holding the Myrtle Beach Pelicans to just four hits in a 4-1 win Sunday.
The Pelicans have been silenced offensively time and again by Augusta this year, being held to four runs or fewer in nine of eleven games so far including tonight. The lone whimper of offense for Myrtle Beach came in the bottom of the first, when Angel Cepeda led off the inning with a four pitch walk against Jeremy Reyes. Cepeda swiped second, and took third on the same pitch via a throwing error. Two offerings later, Jose Escobar rolled a grounder to give the Pelicans a 1-0 lead.
That lead would not last long, as Augusta took starter Hayden Frank to task in the second to jump in front for good. Colby Jones walked to start the frame, and stole both second and third off of Frank before tying the game on a single from Mason Guerra. The Jackets would load the bases on two more singles, and Luis Sanchez cracked a two-run base hit to give the Jackets a 3-1 advantage, on what was Sanchez’s first hit against a lefty this year.
Reyes would produce quality results in three more innings, keeping the Pelicans at bay but coming up short of qualifying for the win. That honor went to Samuel Mejia, who entered the ballgame in the fifth after Augusta tacked on an extra run via a John Gil double in the top half. Mejia retired all nine batters faced, tying his season high with six Ks as he grabbed his third win of the year.
With a cancellation and four seven-inning games so far this week, both sides had a handful of arms needing to get work in, so both skippers mixed and matched their pen as usual. Cole Reynolds allowed the RBI double to Gil, the only blemish for him in three innings, but Landon Ginn and Jackson Kirkpatrick each tossed two scoreless innings to prevent any add-ons from the Jackets. On the opposite side, Albert Rivas worked a scoreless eighth before David Rodriguez retired the side in order in the ninth, earning his first professional save.
The GreenJackets will take a day of rest Monday, before playing host to their former divisional rivals, as the Fayetteville Woodpeckers roll into town in the midst of their first year in the league’s North Division. The GreenJackets are currently in sole possession of first place in the South, with 15 games left to play in the first half. Play against Fayetteville begins Tuesday at 7:05, the first of six games at home.
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