NORTH AUGUSTA – A run of silence from the Salem bats came to a hearty end Saturday, as the Red Sox pounded out a dozen runs against Augusta pitching in a 12-2 win.
The GreenJackets would score their only two runs of the night on one swing, posting an early lead against Luis Cohen before things went sideways. After Colin Burgess began the second by reaching on a catcher’s interference, Elio Campos ripped a soaring line drive over the left field wall for his first homer as a GreenJacket, providing the first and last spark in Augusta’s bats.
After Campos’ blast, it was all Salem at SRP Park, with the Red Sox immediately tying the game against phenom Cam Caminiti. Caminiti would allow a leadoff single and walk, and despite a fielder’s choice and pop up producing two outs, he could not keep the game scoreless, with Andruw Musett sneaking a grounder past third for a two-RBI double that tied the game.
Caminiti’s night would end after the fourth, and the GreenJacket bullpen could not hold the Sox at bay. Jackson Dannelley was met with immediate resistance, as a leadoff walk was plated via a Justin Gonzales triple to put Salem in front. Gonzales would score on a Musett single, a line drive that hit hard off of Dannelley’s upper body and forced him from the game with the training staff.
Seth Keller was brought in cold from the bullpen, and received a rude welcome to the game. Keller hit Frederik Jimenez with a splitter, and served up a slider to Enddy Azocar, who hooked it inside the foul pole for a three-run homer to punctuate the five-run fifth.
Salem kept the foot on the gas late in the game, scoring two more in the seventh thanks to five walks from Keller and Adam Shoemaker. Shoemaker would glide through the 8th inning, but gave up four hits and three runs in the ninth to push the deficit to double digits.
Cohen took the win with five strong innings, and Augusta was unable to solve reliever Griffin Kilander as he navigated four scoreless innings to pick up his first professional save. The Jackets did not push a man past second base after the fourth, and mustered just two hits against Kilander, both from Douglas Glod.
The Red Sox will look to build off of Saturday’s strong performance in Sunday’s series finale, a 1:35 matinee where SRP Park will host Dinosaur Day. Augusta has yet to name a starter, while Salem sends Joey Gartrell to the hill as he continues his return from Tommy John Surgery.
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