By: RiverDogs Media
Right fielder Diego Infante made a leaping catch moments before crashing into the outfield wall to leave the bases loaded in the seventh inning and help the RiverDogs beat the Augusta GreenJackets 4-2 on Saturday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The game was witnessed by 3,168 fans. The RiverDogs have won five straight games and 14 in a row over the GreenJackets.
Infante’s highlight reel grab ended a seventh inning in which Augusta loaded the bases on three consecutive walks from Steffon Moore with one out. Manager Blake Butera called on Joe LaSorsa to escape the jam with the RiverDogs holding a 4-2 lead. The southpaw induced the first batter he faced, Vaughn Grissom, to hit a groundball to first that Alexander Ovalles fired to the plate to get the lead runner. The next batter, Bryson Horne hit a deep fly ball to right that Infante chased to the warning track and then hauled in with a tremendous catch up against the wall to preserve the lead. LaSorsa earned the save by tossing 2.2 scoreless innings.
Augusta grabbed an early 2-0 lead against RiverDogs starter Luis Moncada. Willie Carter opened the second inning by reaching on an error by second baseman Alika Williams. Landon Stephens drove the next pitch from Moncada to the gap in left-center to score Carter and make it 1-0 GreenJackets. Later in the frame, Justyn-Henry Malloy registered his first professional hit with a double down the left field that increased the lead by one.
The RiverDogs (59-23) slowly climbed back into the game and eventually took the lead by scoring a single run in four straight innings. The first run scored on a blast off the video board in right field by Heriberto Hernandez, the outfielder’s team-leading 12th home run of the season. The game was tied up on a throwing error by catcher Ricardo Rodriguez on a stolen base attempt with runners on the corners in the third.
With men on the corners and nobody out in the fourth, Abiezel Ramirez put the RiverDogs in front with a fielder’s choice groundball that allowed Beau Brundage to race home from third. Another fielder’s choice groundout, this time from Diego Infante, brought in Osleivis Basabe to increase the margin to 4-2 in the fifth.
Basabe and Brundage each collected two hits to guide the RiverDogs seven-hit attack. Horne was responsible for two of Augusta’s six hits.
Moncada earned the win by tossing 5.0 innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits. Moore followed out of the pen with 1.1 innings during which he walked three and allowed two hits, but held Augusta off the board.
Ballpark Fun
The RiverDogs look for a series sweep of the GreenJackets on Sunday evening with first pitch at 5:05 p.m. LHP Jose Lopez (3-5, 5.06) will make the start for the RiverDogs against Augusta RHP Joey Estes (1-5, 2.58). On an MUSC Family Sunday, parking is free and kids can run the bases after the game.
Playoff tickets for the Low-A East Championship Series in September are on sale now at riverdogs.com. For a limited time, fans who purchase tickets to the team's first home playoff game will receive all subsequent home games for free. Purchase playoff tickets here.
All RiverDogs games are broadcast worldwide on riverdogs.com. A television broadcast of all 60 home games during the 2021 season will also be available via MiLB.TV. Games are also available on the MiLB First Pitch app.
RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are now available for the 2021 campaign at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). A full schedule for the 2021 season is available at riverdogs.com.
