North Augusta, SC - The Charleston RiverDogs stranded the tying run at third base for the second night in a row, securing a thrilling 4-3 win over the Augusta GreenJackets in 11 innings on Thursday at SRP Park. A wild pitch in the top of the 11th allowed the winning run to score. The RiverDogs went just 1-14 with runners in scoring position.
The game entered extras tied 1-1. Odalys Peguero bunted Noah Myers to third base in the first at-bat of the frame. Tre’ Morgan reached on catcher’s interference and then stole second base. With the infield in, Woo Shin hit a groundball to short, but Diego Benitez’s throw to the plate was dropped by Jacob Godman, allowing the RiverDogs (10-13) to take a 2-1 lead. Angel Mateo beat out a potential double play to drive in another run with a fielder’s choice groundout moments later.
The GreenJackets (11-13) tied the game in the bottom of the inning, when the RiverDogs needed a great play from Cristopher Barete to avoid losing. Luis Hernandez walked the leadoff hitter to put the tying run at first right out of the chute. Robert Gonzalez followed with a hard base hit into right field that scored one run and moved the tying run to third. The center fielder stole second in short order, placing the winning run in scoring position. Godman atoned for his earlier miscues with a single to left that tied the game, but Barete threw out the potential winning run trying to score on the play. Hernandez stranded a runner at second to force another frame.
In the 11th, Bryan Broecker moved Ricardo Gonzalez to third base with a sacrifice bunt. The go-ahead run scored when a slider from Giomar Diaz to Carlos Colmenarez evaded Godman and rolled to the backstop. Samuel Mejia closed the game by inducing three straight groundballs in the bottom half.
Augusta starter Didier Fuentes and RiverDogs hurler T.J. Nichols traded scoreless innings for the first three frames. The RiverDogs were the first to break through, doing so in the fourth. Morgan opened the inning with a double to the right field corner. Two batters later, Mateo slammed a double off the left field wall to score Morgan and make it 1-0.
Nichols was dominant for the first 4.0 innings but made one mistake in the fifth that allowed Augusta to even the score. With one out, he left a pitch out over the plate to Will Verdung III and the first baseman made him pay with a solo home run over the wall in left center.
Nichols tossed 6.0 innings, allowing a lone run on three hits with six strikeouts. Chris Villaman followed with 2.0 scoreless frames in his professional debut. Hernandez was charged with two runs allowed, one earned, in 2.0 innings. Mejia collected his first save of the season.
Mateo provided half of the team’s eight hits, going 4-5 with a double and two RBI. Augusta received two hits from Luis Sanchez and Joe Olsavsky.
The teams will return to SRP Park for the fourth game of the series on Friday night. RHP Owen Wild (0-0, 2.79) will take his turn in the rotation for Charleston. RHP Garrett Baumann (2-0, 1.25) will toe the rubber for Augusta.
The RiverDogs continue their hunt for a fourth-consecutive Carolina League championship in 2024. The full schedule of games is available here.
Charleston 4, Augusta 3 (11 innings)
May 2, 2024
Click here for the box score
Charleston (R-H-E): 4-8-0
Augusta (R-H-E): 3-7-3
Win: Hernandez (1-0)
Loss: Diaz (0-1)
Save: Mejia (1)
HR: Charleston: None
HR: Augusta: Will Verdung (1, 5th inning, 0 on base)
