Augusta bullpen quiets RiverDogs bats to open series

Charleston, S.C - The RiverDogs’ offense sputtered against Augusta’s bullpen and fell 5-1 in the series opener on Tuesday night in front of 3,425 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.

With the defeat, Charleston falls to 28-30 – three games out of first place with eight games remaining in the first half.

The RiverDogs struck first, jumping ahead in the bottom of the second inning. Nathan Flewelling ignited the offense with a 107 MPH rocket line drive that rolled all the way to the right field corner for a triple. One batter later, Angel Mateo capitalized, lofting a high fly ball to right center that was deep enough to bring Flewelling home to give Charleston a 1–0 lead.

After a pedestrian opening three frames, Augusta found its stride in the top of the fourth. Colby Jones worked a walk and moved to second on a balk by Jayden Voelker. That set the stage for Mason Guerra, who continued his strong run against the RiverDogs with an opposite-field RBI single to score Jones and tie the game at 1–1.

Next up was Nick Montgomery, the 2024 fifth-round draft pick, who hooked a towering fly ball down the left field line. It flirted with the foul pole but stayed just fair, clearing the wall for a two-run homer that gave Augusta a 3–1 lead.

Augusta starter David Rodriguez exited after three innings, giving way to the GreenJackets bullpen, which rose to the occasion. Reibyn Corona, Albert Rivas and Justin Long combined for six scoreless frames to close the game.

After that tough fourth inning, Voelker recovered effectively and did not allow another hit over his final two innings pitched. He finished the night with six innings pitched, four hits and three runs allowed, with three walks and three strikeouts.

In the top of the seventh inning, Augusta gained some cushion and separated themselves with two insurance runs.

With both runners in scoring position, Luis Sanchez hit a soft, rolling grounder in the vicinity of shortstop Ricardo Gonzalez, who was in line to field it to make a play. Field umpire Bayron Matos was ultimately in his path, preventing Gonzalez from getting to the ball. By the time second baseman Jose Perez fielded the grounder, there was no play at any base, and Douglas Glod scored standing up from third. With two outs and men on the corners, Owen Carey smacked a groundball single and scored Burgess from third, making it 5-1 GreenJackets.

Dalton Fowler pitched in relief of Engert Garcia and threw two hitless innings to close out the night for the RiverDogs staff.

Ballpark Fun: Tonight’s rendition of Dog Day Tuesday was a celebration of Corgis and their contribution to households all over the Lowcountry. Corgis and their owners were present all over the concourse and seating bowl, with Corgis participating in all the on and off field entertainment. That includes a Corgi obstacle course, where one pup was a hilariously unwilling participant, despite being bribed with multiple treats.

The RiverDogs return to action with Augusta Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. This week’s Wicked Weed Wild Card Wednesday theme is Wellness Night – featuring cold plunges, massages and a book giveaway for the first 500 fans. Tickets are available at RiverDogs.com. For an upgraded experience, fans can purchase tickets to the inclusive, air-conditioned Segra Club.