NORTH AUGUSTA, SC: A dream start to the evening gave way to another nightmarish finish, as Augusta imploded in the late goings and lost 5-4 in 10 innings, the third time in five days they have lost to Fayetteville in extras.
The main story entering the night was the arrival and season debut of top prospect Cam Caminiti, Atlanta’s first round pick from 2024. Caminiti, at just 18 years of age, was every bit as good as advertised, firing five stellar innings with just one run and one hit allowed while striking out eight Woodpeckers.
Augusta took an early lead to back up the young star, scoring three batters into the bottom of the first against Ramsey David. Owen Carey poked a one out single, and advanced to second on an E7.
Carey would speed to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a shallow sacrifice fly from Isaiah Drake to open the scoring.
The River Donkeys pushed the advantage to three in the bottom of the third, with Carey and Drake leading the charge again. Carey knocked a one-out single to score Luis Sanchez, and Drake followed with another sac fly to keep the line moving.
With just one hit, Fayetteville got a run back in the top of the 4th, manufacturing a score against Caminiti. Max Holy looped a leadoff single, and took second on a wild pitch. A balk from Caminiti moved Holy to third, and he would score on a chopper from Alberto Hernandez.
The River Donkeys were unable to add to their two-run lead after the third, as David tallied back-to-back zeroes to end his night, and reliever Luis Rodriguez worked a pair of hitless frames himself. Caminiti coasted through five to make himself eligible for the win, and Juan Sanchez retired his first six hitters out of the pen to hold the line.
The wheels fell off in the top of the 8th for Augusta, as Sanchez began the frame with a hit by pitch, and walked the next hitter on four pitches to put the tying run aboard.
Wynston Sawyer made the change to bring in Justin Long, but Long hit Justin Trimble on his first pitch to load the bases with no one out. Long got a key strike out, but Holy’s one-out chopper formed disaster.
Holy’s slow bouncer to Luis Sanchez enabled Sanchez to tag the runner, but Holy’s speed gave the 2nd baseman no chance at first. Sanchez threw towards first anyways, and chucked it down the line, allowing the tying run to score from second.
To add insult to injury, Long immediately got an inning-ending ground ball before the skies opened up and created a 92-minute rain delay.
Neither side would score in regulation after the delay, as Cam Brown continued his stellar season by blanking the Jackets for two innings. In the 10th, the Woodpeckers excelled once again, getting an RBI single from Cesar Hernandez off the bench to take the lead, and a huge two-out double from Drew Brutcher to double the advantage.
Augusta made things interesting in the bottom half, as Carey doubled with two outs to score the automatic runner and put the tying run aboard, but Brown punched out Drake looking to end the game.
Augusta has now lost 4 of 5 against Fayetteville, with three of those losses coming in ten innings. Sunday, June 8, offers one last chance at redemption, with Jeremy Reyes toeing the slab for a 1:35 p.m. start before the Jackets head on the road.
