The Charleston RiverDogs allowed just one run over 14.0 innings on Sunday at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, sweeping a doubleheader from the Augusta GreenJackets by scores of 4-1 and 2-0. A crowd of 5,059 was in attendance. The RiverDogs earned their 12th shutout win of the season and won the final four games of the five-game set.
The RiverDogs (24-15, 51-53) did all of their damage offensively in game one in the same inning, the second. Against Jacob Shafer, who was making his professional debut, Enderson Delgado, Angel Mateo and Raudelis Martinez collected three straight singles, the final of which drove in the game’s first run. Two batters later, Ricardo Gonzalez lined a base hit to left with the bases loaded to double the margin. Before the frame concluded, Junior Garcia dropped Adrian Santana’s fly ball to shallow left as two more runs crossed the plate to make it 4-0.
The Dogs went scoreless the rest of the way, but Santiago Suarez and Jonalbert Rumbol made sure that was enough. Augusta (10-29, 37-67) mustered a lone run in the top of the fifth. Colby Jones singled to begin the frame and moved to third on a throwing error by catcher Enderson Delgado. He then scored on a wild pitch by Suarez. That was the only run allowed by the right-hander in 5.0 strong innings. He scattered four hits and struck out four.
Rumbol took over in the sixth and earned his second save by tossing 2.0 scoreless innings. He struck out one and allowed a lone hit.
The RiverDogs were outhit in victory for the second game in a row. No player in either lineup was responsible for more than one hit.
Game two featured another slow start for both lineups. Augusta was first to the hit column, registering a pair of infield singles off T.J. Nichols over the first four innings. Despite entering the fourth without a hit of their own, the RiverDogs took the lead for good in that frame. The inning began with a double to the warning track in left by Narciso Polanco. Connor Hujsak joined him on base by working a walk. With two outs, Martinez softly lined a low pitch down the left field line to score both runners.
Nichols was dominant throughout his stint on the bump. He threw 5.0 scoreless innings and allowed just a pair of infield singles to collect his third win. In his first appearance in front of the home fans, Andy Rodriguez earned his first save by striking out five over 2.0 perfect innings.
The lone hits from the Dogs were the doubles from Polanco and Martinez. The contest was the third straight in which the RiverDogs emerged victorious despite being outhit. Willmer De La Cruz, a former RiverDogs player, went 2-2 for the GreenJackets.
Ballpark Fun
The RiverDogs hosted their annual Library Night in partnership with the Charleston County Public Library on Sunday. Children who successfully completed their summer reading goal earned tickets for the contest. Many of them stuck around to run the bases after the conclusion of the games.
The RiverDogs head out on the road on Tuesday to begin a seven-game series with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. First pitch in the series opener is at 6:30 p.m. LHP Drew Dowd (3-6, 3.59) is scheduled to work for the RiverDogs. Kannapolis has not yet announced a starter.
The RiverDogs continue their hunt for a fourth-consecutive Carolina League championship in 2024. The full schedule of games is available here.
Game 1
Charleston 4, Augusta 1
August 11, 2024
Click here for the box score
Augusta (R-H-E): 1-5-1
Charleston (R-H-E): 4-4-1
Win: Suarez (6-5)
Loss: Shafer (0-1)
Save: Rumbol (2)
HR: Augusta: None
HR: Charleston: None
Game 2
Charleston 2, Augusta 0
Click here for the box score
Augusta (R-H-E): 0-3-0
Charleston (R-H-E): 2-2-0
Win: Nichols (3-6)
Loss: D. Rodriguez (0-2)
Save: A. Rodriguez (1)
HR: Augusta: None
HR: Charleston: None
