RiverDogs Open Homestand by Swatting GreenJackets 14-6

The Charleston RiverDogs opened a 12-game homestand with their best offensive showing of the season in a 14-6 thrashing of the Augusta GreenJackets on Tuesday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. Every player in the lineup collected at least one hit, with seven players recording multiple knocks. The RiverDogs 21 hits iwere their most in a game since May 29, 2012. The contest was played in front of a crowd of 3,120.

The scoring began in the very first inning with a crooked number. Shane Sasaki opened the game with a single and promptly stole second base. Dru Baker and Bobby Seymour followed with back-to-back RBI doubles to make it 2-0. One more was tacked on with a Willy Vasquez RBI single, giving the RiverDogs (22-12) a 3-0 advantage.

The first five batters in the bottom of the second inning reached base safely via hits, chasing Augusta starter Jorge Bautista from the game. Singles by Michael Berglund and Jelfry Marte were followed by a two-run double from Sasaki. Carson Williams added an RBI triple and Baker scored him with a single in the final at-bat against Bautista. Vasquez continued the hot start with a two-run single against reliever Tyler Owens later in the frame. That hit increased the lead to 9-0.

Augusta (20-14) scored two runs in the third inning off of starter Ben Peoples. The right-hander earned the win after tossing a season-best 5.0 innings and striking out seven, while allowing no further damage. The GreenJackets added three runs in the sixth and a final tally in the ninth.

Meanwhile, the RiverDogs scored five more runs down the stretch with an RBI single from Baker in the third, two-run double by Seymour in the fifth and an RBI single by Baker in the sixth. The other run scored on an error by third baseman Geraldo Quintero.

Baker closed the night 4-4 with a double, four runs batted in and three runs scored. Sasaki added four hits, two RBI and scored four runs. The outfielder is now 25-25 in stolen bases this season. Vasquez extended his hitting streak to eight games in a three-hit showing. Seymour collected two doubles and drove in three. Williams, Luis Leon and Jelfry Marte all recorded two hits.

Austin Vernon worked 2.2 scoreless, hitless innings out of the bullpen with five strikeouts. His Earned run average dipped to 1.46 on the season. Sandy Gaston allowed three runs in 0.1 innings as the first reliever into the contest. Kamron Fields surrendered a single run in the final frame.

Ballpark Fun
The RiverDogs were joined by special guests Tom Guiry and Shane Obedzinski at the ballpark for the first game of the series. The actors who played "Smalls" and "Repeat" in the 1993 movie, "The Sandlot", signed autographs for fans, threw out a ceremonial first pitch, joined the RiverDogs broadcast and led the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch.

The RiverDogs and GreenJackets will be back at it for game two of the series on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. It will be the first Military Appreciation Night of the season alongside Boeing. Secretary William F. Grimsley and Lieutenant Colonel Bill Walsh will inducted into the Hall of Honor prior to the game. On the mound, RiverDogs RHP JJ Goss (0-1, 3.60) will square off against Augusta RHP Jordano Perez (1-0, 2.45).

Single-game tickets are available for all RiverDogs home games at riverdogs.com. RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS).