(Story courtesy Augusta GreenJackets)
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C – Ethan Bagwell worked six scoreless frames with a career-high eight strikeouts, but the Myrtle Beach Pelicans scored seven runs against Kade Woods in the seventh inning to unseat Bagwell’s efforts and take a 7-6 win on May 15.
Bagwell and Pelicans starter Braylon Myers went blow for blow through four innings, with each allowing no runs and just two baserunners in the early portion of the game. Myers was pulled after his four scoreless, and it was Augusta (19-18) that seized the opportunity and struck first. Reliever Connor Knox allowed a walk and single to start his night, and Cooper McMurray poked a single into right to open the scoring. Two batters later, Tate Southisene shot a sacrifice fly to center for a 2-0 lead through the 5th.
The two runs looked as though they might be enough for the win, as Bagwell steamrolled through his final two innings of work. Bagwell retired the final seven men he saw, and ended his day with just two hits and two walks on his line. The start was his fourth quality start of the year, the most at the Single-A level.
Augusta tacked on one more in the top of the seventh, courtesy on an RBI grounder from John Estevez, but could not push further. Things all came crashing down in the bottom half, as Myrtle Beach (18-17) sent eleven men to the plate and scored seven runs on six hits. Three men knocked extra-base hits in the frame, with Geuri Lubo’s two-run double and a two-run single from Josiah Hartshorn the highlights against Woods.
Augusta did not slink quietly into defeat, and fought valiantly in the eighth against Jordan Henriquez. The Jackets manufactured a run after a leadoff walk on a wild pitch, and Juan Mateo clubbed a triple to center field to bring Augusta within two. Mateo dashed home on a Dalton McIntyre groundout, before the Jackets put the tying run aboard in Dallas Macias. Augusta got a tad too greedy, however, as Macias tried to steal second with two strikes and two outs and was gunned down to end the rally.
The Pelicans were held quiet in the bottom of the eighth, but Augusta went down in order in the top of the ninth and could not complete the comeback. The loss is a tough pill to swallow for a GreenJackets team that looked to be on its way to a third win in four games in Myrtle this week, and a fifth win in six games overall.
The GreenJackets will look to shake off tonight’s tough loss and get back on the winning side tomorrow, against a suddenly resurgent Pelicans squad. Zach Royse will take the hill for the GreenJackets, while Riely Hunsaker has the ball for the Pelicans following his first career save last week.
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