RiverDogs Roll at the Plate in Third Straight Win

The Charleston RiverDogs pounded out 10 hits to beat the Augusta GreenJackets 8-3 on Friday at SRP Park. The victory was the third straight after a series opening defeat, marking the team’s second winning streak of the season. Raudelis Martinez drove in three runs.

The RiverDogs (4-3, 31-41) nearly batted around while hanging a crooked number in the top of the second inning. Enderson Delgado started the big inning with a slow roller down the third base line that turned into an infield single. Noah Myers followed by hooking a double into the right field corner to put a pair in scoring position. In the next at-bat, Martinez did nearly the exact same thing, rolling a triple into the right field corner. Both runners scored and the RiverDogs had a 2-0 lead. Carlos Colmenarez added a sacrifice fly later in the inning to make it 3-0.

Augusta (2-5, 29-43) fought back into the ballgame in the bottom of the third. Joe Olsavsky worked a leadoff walk and Robert Gonzalez immediately followed with an RBI trip to the wall in right center. Luis Sanchez continued his impressive series by lining a base hit to center to pull the GreenJackets withing 3-2. Chris Villaman escaped the inning without further damage thanks to a 5-4-3 double play.

Charleston stabilized a bit in the top of the fourth, retaking a three-run advantage. Myers began the frame with his second double of the night and was joined on base by Bryan Broecker who walked with one out, leaving runners on the corners. Odalys Peguero executed a safety squeeze bunt with Myers beating the flip to the plate by pitcher Kadon Morton. Colmenarez was hit by a pitch to load the bases, allowing Adrian Santana to bring in another run with a fielder’s choice groundout to second that made it 5-2.

The GreenJackets climbed a bit closer in the bottom of the sixth, working against reliever Jonalbert Rumbol. The right-hander walked the leadoff hitter Will Verdung and then allowed back-to-back singles to Jeremy Celedonio and Harry Owen. The second single brought home a run and made it a 5-3 contest. Rumbol hit a batter with two outs to load the bases but induced a groundball to short to end the inning.

The RiverDogs put the game away by adding one run to the lead in each of the final three innings. Angel Mateo did the damage with an RBI double in the seventh, Colmenarez added an RBI single in the eighth and Martinez capped his night with an RBI single that pushed the lead to 8-3 in the final stanza.

Villaman walked a season-high three batters but earned the win by allowing just two runs over 5.0 innings. Dalton Fowler tossed a pair of scoreless innings out of the pen, striking out three along the way. Samuel Mejia worked a scoreless ninth to close out the contest.

Martinez was 2-4 with a season-high RBI total. He was joined in posting two hits by Delgado and Myers. For Augusta, Owen was responsible for a third of his team’s hits in a 2-4 showing.

The series continues Saturday night with game five. The RiverDogs are expected to activate RHP T.J. Nichols (1-5, 3.69) from the injured list to make the start. Augusta will call on RHP Garrett Baumann (4-2, 3.20) for the penultimate game of the series.