GreenJackets hand West Virginia 6th straight loss

North Augusta, SC: Sean Hjelle went five innings, allowing just one run on the mound, and the GreenJackets (16-14) offense collected nine hits, including a big Aaron Bond three-run home run in the 4^th, to help beat the West Virginia Power (17-13) by a final of 8-3.

The Power have now lost six games in-a-row, and left 10 men-on-base for the night, while outhitting the GreenJackets at the plate.
Ismael Munguia led the game off with a walk. He stole 2^nd base, and moved to 3^rd base on a wild pitch. It was Munguia's 1^st stolen base since April 7^th, as he would go on to steal two bases for the night.
With Munguia on 3^rd base, Diego Rincones singled and the Jackets led it 1-0 after the first inning.
In the 2^nd inning, after GreenJackets starting pitcher Sean Hjelle worked out of trouble in the first, West Virginia's Bobby Honeyman hit a leadoff home run to tie the game at one.
In the 4^th inning, the GreenJackets batted around. The inning was headlined by an Aaron Bond three-run home run. Later in the inning, with the bases loaded, Rincones broke his bat and on the groundball to 3^rd base, Bobby Honeyman mishandled it and it rolled into left field. Two runs scored and the Jackets held a 6-1 lead.
Hjelle finished his night going five innings on the hill, while striking-out eight. It was the first win of his professional career, and it was the 3^rd time he's gone at least five innings this year.
In the 6^th inning, Rincones grabbed his 3^rd RBI of the game with Munguia on 3^rd base. An infield hit scored Munguia making it 7-1. West Virginia responded in the home-half on a two-run homerun off the bat of Cesar Trejo, it cut the Augusta lead to 7-3.
Andres Angulo came up in the 8^th inning, and on the first pitch he saw, he belted a home run to extend the lead to 8-3. It was Angulo's first home run since August of 2017.
After Solomon Bates allowed two runs in the 6^th and 7^th, it was Ryan Walker to close down the 8^th and 9^th innings and win it for the GreenJackets, a final of 8-3.
Player of the Game: Sean Hjelle, 5 IP, 1 ER, 6 H, 8 SO
After he celebrated his 22^nd birthday yesterday, Sean Hjelle came to the park and had a career night. Hjelle received his 1^st win of his career and had eight strikeouts, a career high.
Tomorrow's Game:  Doubleheader
Game #1: 6:05 PM @WV (AUG) RHP Jesus Ozoria (0-2, 3.04 ERA) vs (WV) RHP Clay Chandler (3-1, 0.75 ERA)
Game #2: (AUG) RHP Keaton Winn (1-1, 2.74 ERA) vs (WV) RHP Deivy Florido (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
It's a twin-bill for Thursday. In Game #1, the GreenJackets will give Jesus Ozoria the baseball. Ozoria, will make his 3^rd start as a GreenJacket. In his first two, he has struggled early on in each outing, but has responded nicely, to go at least four frames both times.
Clay Chandler will start for West Virginia in the 1^st game. Chandler has been impressive early this season. He has gone at least five innings in every outing this season and his 0.75 ERA is 2nd best among qualified players in the SAL.
In Game #2, Keaton Winn will make his 1^st start of the season. Winn has been the long-reliever out of the GreenJackets bullpen, and has been tough on hitters all season long. He has gone five innings out of the bullpen twice this year, and batters have just a .233 average against him.
For West Virginia, they will have Deivy Florido take the mound. Florido, who was signed by the Mariners as an International Free Agent in 2017, went 3-2 with a 3.47 ERA over 62.1 innings in the Dominican Summer League last year.
About the Augusta GreenJackets
SRP Park is the anchor piece of Riverside Village, a live, work, "playball" development which includes apartment living, senior living, retail, restaurants, class "A" office space, and a Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Center. To learn more about SRP Park and hosting events and availability, visit www.thesrppark.com.
 
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