RiverDogs Ride Long Ball to 6-3 Win

The Charleston RiverDogs hit a season-high three home runs on Saturday night, slugging their way to a 6-3 win over the Augusta GreenJackets at SRP Park. The RiverDogs remain two games behind the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in the race for the first-half South Division title.

Carson Williams opened the scoring in the second at-bat of the game for the second night in a row. On Friday, it was an RBI triple that gave the RiverDogs (42-20) a 1-0 lead. This time, he lined his team-leading eighth home run of the season over the left field wall to put his team in front.

Augusta (34-28) managed to take the lead away in their first opportunity at the plate against Christian Fernandez. Geraldo Quintero advanced to third via a base on balls, stolen base and groundout to the right side. Brandol Mezquita tied the game by plating Quintero on a chopper to the left side that resulted in an infield single. Mezquita was picked off at first base my Fernandez, but Brandon Parker followed with a solo home run and the GreenJackets moved ahead 2-1.

That lead was also short-lived with the visitors scoring two runs in the second. Luis Leon reached on an error by Quintero at third to start the inning. The catcher advanced to second on a wild pitch, allowing him to score the tying run on Jelfry Marte's single up the middle. Mason Auer put the RiverDogs back on top with a double into the left field corner that brought Marte around from first. Nick Schnell added a solo home run in the third to push the margin to 4-2. Schnell has homered in three straight games.

Mezquita also drove in the final run of the game for Augusta in the bottom of the third with an RBI double. Fernandez earned the win on the mound by limiting Augusta to three runs on five hits in 5.0 innings. His six strikeouts moved him into second in the Carolina League behind Austin Vernon. Jack Snyder followed with 3.0 scoreles innings to bridge the gap to the ninth, where Sandy Gaston grabbed his first save of the season by stranding a pair of runners in scoring position.

The RiverDogs added two insurance runs late in the contest to gain some breathing room. Nathan Perry brought home Williams with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Oneill Manzueta added the final run with another solo home run in the eighth inning. The blast was Manzueta's third of the season.

The final game of the series is set for Sunday afternoon at 1:35 p.m. The RiverDogs can salvage a series split with a victory. RHP Daiveyon Whittle (0-2, 3.57) will make his second start of the week for the RiverDogs. He will be opposed by LHP Sam Strickland (0-0, 2.70) of Augusta.

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).