HICKORY, NC: The Crawdads were held off the scoreboard in each of the game’s first four innings, but a mammoth home run from Braylin Morel in just his second game with Hickory handed the home side a lead they never let go, finalizing a 4-1 victory Saturday night.
Starter Rayven Antonio navigated subpar command for 4.1 scoreless innings, departing with a man at third and one out in the 5th.
Augusta tasked Seth Keller with maintaining their 1-0 lead and stranding the runner at third, but Keller hit the first batter he faced to put the go-ahead run aboard.
Keller fell behind 2-0, and Morel turned on an inside fastball, clobbering it over the left field wall for his first Single-A home run.
Augusta’s only run came in the top of the 4th, a fleeting lead gifted to them by some miscues from Hickory. John Gil, in his return from injury, led off the frame with his second hit of the day, and promptly stole second.
After Crawdad starter David Hagaman recorded back-to-back outs, Colby Jones reached on an error from shortstop to move Gil to 3rd and keep the inning going.
Hagaman then spiked a fastball to the backstop, and Gil sprinted home for the Jackets’ first and only run.
The GreenJackets were unable to solve Hickory’s bullpen, as Jake Jekielik, Aneudis Mejia, and Jesus Gamez combined for 5.1 scoreless innings and four hits allowed.
Augusta’s best chance to comeback came in the top of the 7th, as they had two on with nobody out, but Mejia induced a double play and fly out to hold the two-run lead in place.
The Crawdads added a key piece of insurance in the bottom of the 8th, as Antonis Macias led off the inning with a triple to the wall against Jackson Dannelley.
Ben Hartl would float a sac fly to center, picking up his first RBI of the week and pushing the result further out of debate.
The GreenJackets still have a chance for a series win, and will need a win tomorrow afternoon in the series finale to do so.
Owen Hackman, Augusta’s leader in innings pitched, will throw for the GreenJackets, and match up with Hickory’s Ismael Agreda at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 27.
