GreenJackets beat Legends 2-1 in six-inning game

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC: The Augusta GreenJackets (69-59, 32-27) defeated the Lexington Legends (62-67, 25-35) by a final score of 2-1 on Friday night. The game was called due to weather conditions after six-innings. The GreenJackets improve to 15-3 against Lexington this year as they take the series opener.  

After the GreenJackets struggled to score runs the previous three days against the Asheville Tourists, they got right to work in the 1^st inning. Simon Whiteman sprinted home from 3^rd base on a passed ball, and the Jackets grabbed an early 1-0 advantage. The GreenJackets threatened in the 2^nd inning, but they ended up having two men thrown out at home plate.
Lexington answered in the 5^th inning. After Nate Eaton stole 2^nd, and the ball went into centerfield allowing him to advance to 3^rd base. Reed Rohlman singled and tied the score at one. The difference in the game was Franklin Labour's solo home run in the 6^th, it gave the Jackets a 2-1 lead, and the game was eventually called in the 7^th inning. It was Labour's first home run as a GreenJacket.
Trenton Toplikar gets the win on the mound after tossing 6.1 innings, and he allows just one-run.
Player of the Game: Trenton Toplikar, W, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO
Toplikar was terrific on Friday night as he gave the Jackets a huge lift. It was a career high 6.1 innings for Toplikar and he improves to 4-2 on the year while lowering his ERA to 3.09.
Tomorrow's Game: 6:05 PM vs Lexington Legends (Kansas City Royals), SRP Park, North Augusta, South Carolina
Pitching Matchup: (LEX) RHP Jon Heasley (8-5, 3.01 ERA) vs (AUG) RHP Keaton Winn (7-7, 3.18 ERA)
Keaton Winn will look to build on his tremendous 2019 season on Saturday night when he faces the Lexington Legends. He faced the Legends last back on July 26^th at Whitaker Bank Ballpark. In that start, he went six-innings and allowed only two runs. He also had a career high eight strikeouts in that start. Winn has thrown 124.1 innings this year and he leads the GreenJackets with that number. The right-hander has prided himself on staying around the strike-zone. He has 97 strikeouts this year, to only 25 walks. Winn was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 20^th round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Iowa Western Community College. He decided not to sign, and he returned the following year. He was drafted in the 5^th round by the Giants in 2018.
Jon Heasley plans to make the start for the Lexington Legends on Saturday night. It will be the 3^rd time he has squared off against the Jackets in 2019. In his first start on June 11^th against Augusta, he went six-inning and allowed three runs while getting the loss. Then, on June 29^th, Heasley made it just 3.2 innings before he was pulled from the game. He allowed three runs in that outing and got the loss again. Heasley is holding opponents to a .222 batting average, and he has 111 strikeouts to 30 walks. He was a 13^th round selection by the Kansas City Royals in the 2018 MLB Draft.
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.
 
2019 Augusta GreenJackets season tickets are on sale now. To learn more about the benefits and to get in on the 2019 action, visit www.greenjacketsbaseball.com or call (803) 349-WINS (9467).
 
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