COLUMBIA, SC: Despite leading in the 8th, 10th, and 11th innings, the GreenJackets were unable to find their final outs, culminating in a walk-off loss that will sting long after the dust settles.
The early stages of the game were all Augusta, and set the Jackets on a path that seemed destined to end in victory. Augusta opened the scoring early against Josh Hansell, as Douglas Glod hammered a one-out double off the fence in center field to score Colby Jones in the top of the 2nd inning.
That one run looked for a while as though it would be enough, as starter Rayven Antonio turned in the best outing of his career. Antonio tied his career high with six innings pitched, and allowed just two hits without a walk or run.
Antonio’s nine strikeouts were also a career best, and tied the team high for most Ks by a single GreenJackets pitcher this season.
The GreenJackets extended the lead in the 6th, as Isaiah Drake greeted reliever Tanner Jones with a two out, two strike homer that brought home a pair of runs and gave the Jackets a three-run safety net. After Albert Rivas posted a zero in the 7th, however, things began to unravel for the team in green.
Rivas allowed a leadoff double in the bottom of the 8th, but retired the next two hitters before Wynston Sawyer turned to Jacob Gomez to face a lefty. But Gomez hung the first pitch he threw, and Derlin Figueroa cracked an RBI single to get Columbia on the board.
Gomez then had to contend with Ramon Ramirez, the team leader in homers, who destroyed a center-cut fastball to the top of the outfield concourse that tied the game.
Both sides posted zeroes in the 9th, sending the game to extras for the second time this week. The Jackets got to two outs without a run in the top half against Tanner Jones in his final inning, but John Gil drove a liner into left that put Augusta back in front.
Columbia was undeterred once more, as Gomez’s first pitch of the inning was taken into right by Jorge Hernandez to score the automatic runner and tie the game back up.
The Jackets continued to hold their own in the top of the 11th, beginning the frame with an Eric Hartman single that scored Owen Carey from second.
Hartman took second on the throw, stole third, and sprinted home on a wild pitch from Dennis Colleran.
The Jackets would load the bases with two outs to chase Colleran from the game, but Dash Albus induced a hard liner from Luis Sanchez that was ran down in deep right to end the inning.
Once more, Wynston Sawyer opted to trust Gomez to finish the game, despite multiple relievers throwing in the bullpen. Figueroa opened the inning by muscling a soft single that brought the tying run to third with nobody out for Ramirez.
After falling behind in the count 3-1, Gomez grooved a middle-middle fastball, and could only watch in horror as Ramirez obliterated his second homer of the night, this one a game winner that sent the Columbia crowd into a frenzy.
The 11-inning affair was Augusta’s longest game by innings this year, and also the team’s first loss in five extra-inning games on the season. The Jackets have now given up two walk-off wins this year, both charged to Jacob Gomez.
Columbia now has guaranteed a series split at minimum, and will go for the series victory Sunday night, May 18, in one last game before the Jackets return home to SRP Park.
