CHARLESTON, SC: In the team’s fifth and (hopefully) final doubleheader of 2025, the GreenJackets failed to leave with a win, as a drawn-out evening in Charleston ended with 1-0 and 6-4 losses to the RiverDogs.
In the opener, offense was at a premium, as Jacob Kmatz and Cam Caminiti were exceptional. Kmatz retired the first 14 batters faced, and worked six one-hit innings to pick up his first win since mid-May.
Caminiti, meanwhile, turned in the best outing of his pro career as he strolled through six innings with a career-high nine strikeouts.
Despite the dominance, Caminiti took the unfortunate loss, as a two-out double in the 3rd from Brailer Guerrero was the only run for either side.
Game two saw a flip of the script in that Augusta played as the home team, as the contest was a makeup of a postponement from SRP Park earlier this month.
With Charleston batting in the top of the first in their own ballpark, the strangeness of the event did not befuddle the RiverDogs, as they scored quickly against Drew Christo in his first pro start.
Christo issued a two-out walk to Nathan Flewelling, who sped home on an RBI double from Connor Hujsak. Hujsak trucked home via a bloop from Tom Poole, giving the Dogs an early 2-0 lead.
It was not until the bottom of the 3rd that the bats woke up for the GreenJackets, but the offense came alive to chase Alexander Campos early.
Augusta loaded the bases with one out, on two singles and a walk. Owen Carey muscled a sac fly to the fence in right, and a perfectly executed double steal with men at the corners tied the game.
Hayden Friese would not be satisfied with the tie, though, and beat out an infield single to put Augusta in front.
The Jackets maintained the lead in the middle innings thanks to Kade Woods, as the righty fired his longest relief outing as a pro to hold the Dogs at bay.
Woods threw 2.2 scoreless, as many innings as he totaled in his last two years of college combined. A healthy Woods mixed breaking pitches well and used two key double plays to keep Augusta in front, while an RBI fielder’s choice from Juan Mateo doubled the advantage.
The end of Augusta’s lead coincided with the end of Woods’ evening, as Jhonly Taveras struggled to keep the advantage in the top of the 6th.
Taveras allowed a leadoff walk to Flewelling, and despite retiring the next two hitters, ran into trouble as an infield single and second walk loaded the bases.
After falling behind 3-0 to Jose Monzon, Taveras worked the count full before hanging a slider that Monzon crushed to the wall in right, scoring all three men and giving the Dogs the lead.
Augusta was unable to overcome the late deficit, a one-run disadvantage that doubled in the 7th on a Flewelling sac fly.
Augusta got the tying run to the plate in the bottom half, but could not scratch runs across, as Carey flew out to the fence for a second time in as many at bats.
The GreenJackets have now lost five straight for just the second time this year, including all three so far in Charleston.
Augusta turns to its hottest arm at the moment, Jeremy Reyes, to steer the squad back into the winners’ circle on Thursday night, Aug. 28.
