Story by Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets
SALISBURY, Md. – A pair of young right-handers combined to go 8.2 scoreless innings as Delmarva’s bats once again were held quiet, enabling the GreenJackets to procure a 4-1 win on Friday night.
Ethan Bagwell’s fourth professional start was his best, as the powerful righty pitched to contact continuously while shutting down the Shorebirds for five innings. Bagwell allowed just two hits in the contest, both singles, and earned his first win in the Minor Leagues.
The GreenJacket offense was potent enough early that another quiet second half didn’t impede Augusta’s chance at a sixth consecutive win. Augusta scored in each of the first three innings, chasing starter Jacob Cravey, who falls to 0-2 on the year and 0-11 in his professional career.
Douglas Glod opened the scoring in the first, taking advantage of a two-out walk to Eric Hartman and hammering a fastball high beyond the left field fence for his first Single-A homer. Glod now has four extra base hits in three games this week, after starting the season 0-23.
The ‘Jackets tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the next two innings, utilizing a Luis Sanchez RBI single in the second and Mac Guscette double in the third to hold a 4-0 lead. Eight of Augusta’s nine starters reached base in the game, with the majority doing so early.
Both sides settled in nicely in the middle innings, with Delmarva’s relievers holding Augusta scoreless after the third and Bagwell burning through five frames without a tally. Bagwell would pass the baton to Logan Samuels, and he took up the cause in stride, keeping the tradition of zeroes on the scoreboard.
Delmarva finally broke through in the bottom of the ninth, with Yasmil Bucce reaching on a one-out double and scoring on a similar swing from Maikol Hernandez. It marked the second time this week Augusta has lost a shutout in the ninth inning, after the same thing happened Tuesday afternoon. Samuels retired the next man he faced, and received his first professional save for his efforts as a result.
The GreenJackets have now won six consecutive games for the first time since August 2022. The GreenJackets had two separate streaks of at least six wins in that season, and can match the year’s longest mark with a win tomorrow. Delmarva has now dropped eight in a row on their side, and 10 of their last 11. Both sides put those streaks on the line tomorrow in a likely rain-soaked affair at Perdue Stadium.
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