Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets
ZEBULON, N.C. – Ten batters and six runs featured in the bottom of the sixth, as Carolina erased an early deficit and swung the tide of the game completely in their direction for a 7-5 win to clinch the series over the GreenJackets.
Kadon Morton was on the bump in the fifth, having supplanted starter Jacob Shafer with one out in the fourth to strand a man at third. Morton’s first full inning was less than kind, as eight straight men reached following a leadoff groundout. Morton nearly changed his fortunes early, but a dropped pickoff by Mason Guerra that had runner Blayberg Diaz dead to rights took an out off the board. Carolina scored on an RBI single from Eric Bitonti and a wild pitch before Morton departed with the bases loaded, and all three runs would score off of Anthony Garcia to hand Morton the loss.
Augusta’s offense created early against crafty lefty Anthony Flores, making his first start with Carolina after three perfect innings of relief on Tuesday. Titus Dumitru opened the scoring in the second, hammering a hanging cutter far beyond the left field wall, his first professional homer and Augusta’s first long ball since Aug. 1. The Jackets added a pair the next inning via a bases-loaded two RBI single from Junior Garcia, the final runs they would score against Flores.
Both bullpens would clamp down in the back half of the game, as the two sides traded zeroes in the sixth and seventh. Augusta made some noise in the eighth, facing Anfernee Reyes for the second time in three days, and used three walks and a single to score one and load the bases with no outs. Reyes would knuckle up and force Dumitru to bounce into a rally-killing double play, scoring one but posting two outs. He would follow by striking out Jake Steels to keep Carolina in front.
Dikember Sanchez took the ball for the third time this series, a rare feat anywhere and especially at the Single-A level. Just as he did on Friday night, Sanchez worked a hitless ninth inning, maneuvering around a two-out HBP of Austin Machado to earn his third save of the year and second of the week.
The GreenJackets now return home for their final home series of the season, with seven games in six days against the Columbia Fireflies beginning on Tuesday, Aug. 27. Carolina will make their last road trip of the regular season, as the playoff-bound Mudcats travel north to Lynchburg for a final series with the Hillcats. Tickets for the week’s slate of games can be found at greenjacketsbaseball.com or by calling (803) 349-9467.
