By: RiverDogs Media
Carlos Colmenarez drove in the decisive run with a double and added a solo home run later in the night as the Charleston RiverDogs knocked off the Augusta GreenJackets 6-4 on Friday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. Fellow 19-year-old Xavier Isaac added a three-run home run to help the RiverDogs snap a four-game skid by winning their first game of the series. A crowd of 4,723 took in the RiverDogs first Friday night win at home.
The game got off to an inauspicious start in the top of the first inning. The first four GreenJackets (26-23) to step to the plate collected a hit, driving in three runs in the process. Ethan Workinger and Justin Janas opened the game with back-to-back singles against Jonny Cuevas. Bryson Worrell followed with an RBI double to open the scoring. In the next at-bat, E.J. Exposito made it 3-0 with a single to right field. Cuevas used a double play to help escape the frame without further damage.
The RiverDogs (19-30) got a run back in the bottom of the second against heralded Braves pitching prospect Owen Murphy. Oneill Manzueta hammered a triple off the wall in center field to start the inning, and scored shortly after on a Jhon Diaz sacrifice fly.
Ethan Workinger connected on his third home run of the series, and seventh of the season, to extend the lead back to three in the third inning. From that point forward, Cuevas kept the GreenJackets off the board to earn the win. He allowed four runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings.
The offense brought the RiverDogs back to even in the bottom of the third. Julio Meza began the rally by muscling a broken bat single to shallow left. Colmenarez followed with a walk to put two on base with no outs. Murphy struck out Ryan Spikes for the first out, but Isaac followed with a towering fly ball that cleared the right field wall and tied the game 4-4. It was Isaac's fourth of the season. Murphy was charged with four runs on four hits in 3.0 innings.
The rest of the scoring in the game came courtesy of Colmenarez. In the fourth, the second baseman drove an RBI double into the right center gap to put the RiverDogs in front for good. He added his second home run of the year in the seventh to pad the lead.
The bullpen tandem of Jeff Hakanson and Drew Sommers worked the final 3.0 innings of the contest to close out the win. Hakanson struck out three as he worked perfect seventh and eighth innings. Sommers earned his first save by striking out a pair in the ninth.
Ballpark Fun
A longtime tradition at The Joe has returned during the 2023 season. On certain nights, youth teams from the Lowcountry trot onto the field with the RiverDogs as the starting lineup is introduced prior to first pitch. On Friday, players were joined by members of the River Rockies T-Ball team.
The RiverDogs look to make it two in a row on Marvel's Defenders of the Diamond Night Saturday with a 6:05 p.m. first pitch. RHP Yoniel Curet (2-1, 5.08) will toe the rubber first for the RiverDogs. Augusta will start RHP Didier Fuentes (0-3, 6.95).
RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS).
Charleston 6, Augusta 4
Click here for the box score
Win: Cuevas (2-4)
Loss: E. Rodriguez (1-1)
HR: Augusta: Ethan Workinger (8, 3rd inning, 0 on base)
