COLUMBIA, SC: Starter Jeremy Reyes came up one out short of qualifying for a win, and Jacob Kroeger carried the team the rest of the way, firing a career high 4.1 innings to secure his first professional victory.
Kroeger struck out the first five hitters he faced, allowing just one hit in his longest outing as a pro. The Missouri native has now worked seven straight scoreless appearances, totaling 15.2 innings without an earned run.
Columbia opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, then went dormant for the rest of the evening. The Fireflies loaded the bases with nobody out on two singles and a walk, but Reyes danced out of danger with an RBI groundout from Brennon McNair the only true blemish.
Reyes would settle in from there, posting a season-high 4.2 innings of one-run ball while tying his career high in strikeouts with seven.
The Jackets were listless early against Hiro Wyatt, but found some offense in the top of the third for a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the night.
Mac Guscette began the inning with a hit by pitch, and after a pair of punchouts from Wyatt, John Gil legged out a double to put two men in scoring position. Owen Carey played the role of villain well, smacking a two-RBI single off of Hiro to put Augusta in front.
Augusta would tack on late in the game against the bullpen, adding a run of insurance in both the 6th and 9th innings to seal the Fireflies’ fate.
Eric Hartman cracked his 2nd RBI double in as many nights to double the lead in the middle innings, and Guscette poked an RBI single in the 9th, as he reached base in all four plate appearances of the evening.
Columbia offered very little resistance to Kroeger, with their only opportunity squandered in the bottom of the 8th. Ramon Ramirez led off with a single, and advanced to 2nd on a wild pitch.
Ramirez took third on a ground ball where the throw was dropped at first by Roiber Niazoa, but Ramirez was overly aggressive, and got thrown out trying to score as Niazoa recovered in time. Kroeger induced a 5-4-3 double play on the next pitch, and kept his scoreless streak in line.
The GreenJackets have now won two of three games this week and four of six this season against the Columbia Fireflies. Augusta takes the field Saturday with a chance to guarantee at minimum a series split, with a humid few nights at the ballpark awaiting both teams.
