Toplikar takes Jackets to 5-2 win

GREENVILLE, SC: The Augusta GreenJackets (72-61, 36-29) defeated the Asheville Tourists (56-78, 24-40) by a final score of 5-2 on Wednesday night. The win for the Jackets will keep them, at the very least, tied for 1^st place with the Asheville Tourists heading into the final five games of the season.

In the 1^st inning the GreenJackets got on the board. Frankie Tostado's sacrifice fly scored Simon Whiteman from 3^rd base to give the Jackets a 1-0 lead. The Jackets continued to score runs off Greenville starter Alex Scherff.
Logan Wyatt's fielder's choice in the 3^rd inning made it 2-0 GreenJackets. Later in the inning, Jacob Gonzalez singled with the bases loaded to make it 4-0. A wild pitch scored Franklin Labour, and the Jackets lead was 5-0.
After Trenton Toplikar retired the first nine batters he faced, Greenville collected their first hit of the game in the 4^th. Then in the 5^th inning, Kervin Suarez belted his 2^nd home run of the season, a two-run home run, to cut into the Jackets lead. Greenville trailed at just 5-2. Toplikar ended his night with a career high seven-innings, and his eight strikeouts were also a career high, as he allowed just two runs.
JJ Santa Cruz came on for the final two-innings, and the Jackets grabbed a 5-2 win to stay, at the very least, tied for 1^st place with the Asheville Tourists.
Player of the Game: Trenton Toplikar, 7 IP, 2 ER, 8 K
Trenton Toplikar had a career high in innings pitched (7.0) and strikeouts (8) to help the Jackets get a win on Wednesday night. Toplikar has won his last two games on the mound.
Tomorrow's Game: 7:05 PM @ Greenville Drive (Boston Red Sox), Fluor Field, Greenville, South Carolina
Pitching Matchup: (GVL) RHP Hunter Haworth (5-7, 4.50 ERA) vs (AUG) RHP Norwith Gudino (1-0, 0.96 ERA)
Norwith Gudino will close out the series with the Greenville Drive on Thursday night, as he makes his 1^st appearance with Augusta since April 23^rd in Hickory. Gudino was suspended for 80-games because of a banned substance back in April of this year. Gudino was phenomenal in his four outings with the Jackets to start the year. He held opponents to a .188 average in 9.1 innings and he had 13 strikeouts to only three walks. Gudino will be thrown right into the fire as the Jackets continue their chase for a playoff spot. The right-hander will come from Class-A Short Season Salem-Keizer where he pitched 11.2 innings and he allowed just one-run. Gudino was signed by the San Francisco Giants back in 2014 out of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela.
The Greenville Drive will hand the baseball to Hunter Haworth in the series finale. Haworth is coming off one of his best outings in 2019. Against the Asheville Tourists on August 24^th, he went seven-innings and he did not allow a run. Asheville could only muster up one-hit off Haworth. The right-hander last faced the GreenJackets on August 13^th at SRP Park and he went only 3.1 innings in that start, while he allowed five runs to get the loss. Haworth has 117 strikeouts on the season and he has issued just 40 walks, while he's also holding opponents to a .236 batting average. Haworth was a 22^nd round selection by the Boston Red Sox in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Chico State.
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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