Woodpeckers Stifled in Friday Night Shutout Loss to Augusta
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC – The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (38-47, 9-10) could not find an answer for the Augusta GreenJackets (35-48, 8-10) and their pitching staff Friday night at SRP Park as the GreenJackets took home a 3-0 win over Fayetteville. The Woodpeckers were shut out for the first time since June
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC – The Fayetteville Woodpeckers (38-47, 9-10) could not find an answer for the Augusta GreenJackets (35-48, 8-10) and their pitching staff Friday night at SRP Park as the GreenJackets took home a 3-0 win over Fayetteville. The Woodpeckers were shut out for the first time since June 27 in Myrtle Beach.
Augusta’s J.R. Ritchie (W, 1-0) was dominant in his first Single-A rehab start after spending much of the season on the 60-day injured list. Ritchie did not allow a hit over five innings and walked just one batter while striking out seven. He turned the ball over to GreenJackets regular Davis Polo who followed suit with three shutout innings of his own. The righty allowed the first visiting hit of the ballgame in the seventh to Jancel Villarroel, who had both of Fayetteville’s base hits on the night.
Offensively, Augusta struck for the game’s opening run against Woodpeckers starter Engel Peralta (L, 1-1) in the bottom of the first on a Will Verdung groundout. The GreenJackets got their other two runs in the fourth from an RBI single by Noah Williams and a run-scoring triple off the bat of Leiker Figueroa. Peralta ended up going five innings, allowing the three runs on five hits while walking a pair and striking out four. Reibyn Corona (SV, 3) closed the game out in the ninth, stranding two runners to end it.
Sandy Mejia took over for Peralta in the sixth and was nearly unhittable in relief. The 20-year-old did not yield a run over three frames and surrendered just two hits while also fanning four. Mejia has allowed just one run over his last three relief appearances.
Both teams will meet for the fifth time out of six this week on Saturday night in North Augusta. RHP Jackson Nezuh, the Carolina League leader in strikeouts, gets the ball for the Woodpeckers opposite LHP Matt Shoemaker for Augusta. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM.