Melendez’s Generational Outing Spearheads Big GreenJacket Win

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Melendez’s Generational Outing Spearheads Big GreenJacket Win

Reliever Strikes Out Nine Straight, Tosses Immaculate Inning for Victory

NORTH AUGUSTA, SC: On the final home Friday of the season, the Augusta GreenJackets (32-25, 67-56) made some history, as reliever Adiel Melendez tossed the first immaculate inning in park history as part of a dominant 8-0 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (19-38, 46-75).

Melendez displayed his dominance throughout his relief appearance, but the momentous inning was the top of the fifth. Melendez faced Eli Lovich, Derniche Valdez, and Derik Alcantara, and struck them all out on three pitches. Melendez induced five whiffs, a foul ball, and three taken strikes in the most incredible frame of pitching in recent memory.

The inning was a microcosm of Melendez’s night, as he retired all eleven batters he faced with a career-high nine strikeouts. All nine Ks came in succession, as Melendez trimmed the side in three consecutive innings to bully the Birds throughout the night.

Adiel’s outing came on the heels of a stellar pro debut from Ole Miss product Wil Libbert. Libbert fired three scoreless frames in his first professional outing, picking up five Ks of his own and navigating around a pair of hits to post a scoreless debut.

As good as the pitching was, the offense was just as productive, using three multi-run innings to secure a lopsided victory. The offense got rolling in the bottom of the second, as Yamvier Carrero blasted his second homer of the week to put three runs up on starter Luis Mata, who took his second straight loss to start his Single-A career.

The bats kept pushing against the bullpen, putting up two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth against Victor Zarraga to pull away. Cooper McMurray continued his brilliant series with three RBIs for the second straight night, and now has seven hits and seven runs driven in through four games this week. In total, eight of nine batters reached safely in the game, as Augusta scored eight for the second straight night.

After Lewis Sifontes fired 2.1 hitless frames to end the night, the Jackets had their fifth shutout of the season, and second one that went the full nine innings. Augusta has guaranteed a season series win over the Pelicans, and can take a win in the final homestand of the campaign if they snag a win tomorrow or Sunday. Luis Arestigueta takes the ball tomorrow, looking for his third consecutive scoreless start.

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