NORTH AUGUSTA, SC: Beginning their final trip to Augusta before relocation and renaming, the Carolina Mudcats introduced themselves to SRP Park with a 5-2 win over the GreenJackets Tuesday night.
The Mudcats came in having emerged victorious in seven of nine games since the All-Star Break, and sent ace Melvin Hernandez to the mound to keep the successful run going. Hernandez stumped Augusta’s offense early and often, holding the Jackets to a run on two hits with 5 Ks in his seventh win of the year.
Carolina found the scoreboard early against Ethan Bagwell, as the young righty made his first start at SRP Park since April 18. The Mudcats went down in order in the first, but used a hit by pitch and two singles to load the bases with no outs in the second. Bagwell forced Tyler Rodriguez to roll into a 6-4-3 double play that brought home the game’s first run, but struck out Pedro Ibarguen to minimize the threat.
Carolina would double the lead in the 4th, as slugging first baseman Eric Bitonti crushed his league-leading 16th home run of the year over the Coors Light Chill Zone and off the back fence separating the stadium’s edge from the Savannah River. Bagwell worked through five innings efficiently, but a wave of storms forced a 73-minute rain delay that prohibited him from attempting the sixth inning, and forcing the losing decision into his possession.
After the delay, the Mudcats kept their foot on the gas, greeting reliever Adam Shoemaker with a pair of runs to add insurance. Jesus Made worked a one-out walk, and Luis Pena poked a roller past first base for a hustle double. After a key K from Shoemaker, a Jose Anderson popup fell between Colby Jones and Owen Carey, scoring both men.
The Mudcats would tack on one more run against Shoemaker, this one an unearned tally in the seventh, before being held off the board in their final two chances by Justin Militello. Augusta, however, had no chance to cut into the lead, as 18-year-old Tyler Renz dazzled in his Single-A debut by keeping the GreenJackets hitless in his first three innings.
With their backs against the wall, Augusta showed fight in the ninth, refusing to concede even late. Juan Mateo led off with a single, and after two punchouts from Renz, Douglas Glod drew a walk before Joe Olsavsky poked a two-strike blooper into right for an RBI. A walk from Eric Hartman loaded the bases and chased Renz from the game, but Anfernny Reyes induced a game-ending groundout from John Gil to strand the tying run at first and secure the win.
On Wednesday, top prospect Cam Caminiti takes the ball in a must-see matchup against Made, Pena, and Carolina’s arsenal of young phenoms. The game has been selected as MiLB’s Game of the Day, meaning fans can watch free and without signup on MLB.com, MiLB.com, and across both the MLB and MiLB apps. First pitch will be at 7:05 p.m., and Caminiti will work opposite Travis Smith, who leads the Mudcats in starts and has produced strong success despite low strikeout totals.
Augusta Good News is an award-winning member of the Georgia Press Association, receiving a second place General Excellence in 2025. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter here.
