Free Passes Galore as Augusta Gets First Win of Year

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Free Passes Galore as Augusta Gets First Win of Year

Nine Walks, Six Hit Batters in Disheveled Duel with Delmarva

SALISBURY, MD: The GreenJackets mustered eleven hits and utilized fifteen free passes to erase their winless streak to start the year, stealing a wild win over the Delmarva Shorebirds by a 10-7 final.

On a frigid Salisbury evening, the Augusta bats were the first to heat up, notching three hits in the first off of Christian Rodriguez, capped by a Luis Guanipa RBI single. The Jackets would load the bases on two HBPs and a walk in the second, before Rodriguez punched out Conor Essenburg to keep the lead at one.

Delmarva struggled to solve Aiven Cabral in its first two chances, but came alive in the third with help from a defensive miscue. Felix Amparo began the frame with a single, and swiped second immediately. The Shorebirds used a pair of ground balls to manufacture the tying run, but extended the inning on an Alex Lodise error with two down. Luis Almeyda followed with a base hit, and Joshua Liranzo rubbed extra salt in the wound by rocketing a three-run home run to give the Shorebirds the lead.

The GreenJackets counterpunched well in the top of the 4^th, tying the game in the very next inning. Rodriguez issued a leadoff walk to Cooper McMurray, which ended his night in favor of the rehabbing Michael Caldon. Caldon immediately hit Joe Olsavsky, and issued a one-out single to Tate Southisene to load the bases. Essenburg won a 7-pitch battle with an RBI single, and Lodise followed by crushing a two-run double off the right field wall to tie the game.

Both sides would go back and forth in the middle innings, with Delmarva regaining the lead in the bottom of the 5^th on a leadoff homer from Stiven Martinez, before Augusta jumped back in front via RBI singles from Lodise and Caden Merritt. Lewis Sifontes was summoned to the mound for the bottom of the 6^th, but three walks and a hit batter tied the game without a Delmarva hit.

The Jackets got a break of their own in the top of the 7^th, as Adrian Delgado lost his command as the night grew colder. Delgado walked four straight hitters to start the inning, the last of which put Augusta in front before Delgado was pulled. From there, Augusta manufactured some insurance, using a fielder’s choice and E5 off the bat of Guanipa to add two runs to the board, and another infield single from Merritt to make it a 10-6 lead.

For the second straight game, the GreenJackets’ pen was at its best late, as Carter Lovasz was perfect in the 7^th and 8^th while striking out three to keep the Birds at bay. Drew Christo was gifted the 9^th and, despite allowing a leadoff home run to Jordan Sanchez, made quick work of the inning as a whole to slam the door and secure the win. The victory is the first in the managerial career of Brad Stoll, in his second year with the team and first at the helm.

The GreenJackets look to keep the positive momentum going tomorrow evening on another cold and windy night, with Derek Vartanian set to make his pro debut on the mound. Augusta has now won 6 of their last 7 in Delmarva, with more hopefully on the way this week.

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