The bullpen has been a huge bright spot for the Charleston RiverDogs early on this season, and that continued Friday night when David Sosebee came out of the pen in a tie game to toss four scoreless innings in the RiverDogs 5-3 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets. Garrett Mundell earned his third save of the season and Blake Rutherford scored two runs in the victory.

After a scoreless first inning, the RiverDogs would take the lead with three runs against Melvin Adon in the second. Rutherford reached on an error and moved to third on a throwing error by Adon on a pickoff attempt. Donny Sands then delivered a sacrifice fly to score Rutherford and Charleston had the early lead. Two batters later, Brandon Wagner drew a two-out walk and Carlos Vidal followed with a base hit into right field. The throw from Sandro Fabian was wild, allowing both runners to move into scoring position. That brought Oswaldo Cabrera to the plate, who lined a single into left that scored both runners to make it 3-0.

Nick Nelson tossed three scoreless innings to start the contest, but he would get into trouble in the fourth. With two down, Manuel Geraldo walked and Ryan Kirby followed with a shot to the wall in right field that he legged out for a triple. Brandon Van Horn then lined a single to center to score Kirby and it was a one-run game.

In the fifth Augusta tied the score. Fabian was hit by a pitch to start the frame and Kelvin Beltre singled to put two on with no one out. That would be it for Nelson, as Sosebee came on to relieve. He gave up a base hit, then retired the next batter, but a force out by Geraldo tied the score.

In the sixth, the Charleston RiverDogs retook the lead. Rutherford walked to start the inning and Sands singled to move Rutherford to third, but Sands was thrown out trying to stretch the single into a double. Isiah Gilliam then drilled a ball down the line in right that he turned into a triple and it was 4-3 Charleston. Wagner followed by singling to right and the lead was two.

From there Sosebee (2-1) dominated. The lone hit he allowed was to the first batter he faced. He then retired the next 12 batters, striking out five. In the ninth, Garrett Mundell relieved and struck out two of the three batters he faced, earning his third save of the year.

Blake Rutherford did not have a hit in the game, but reached base twice and scored two runs. Oswaldo Cabrera was 1-2 with a walk and 2-RBI.

The third game of this series is tomorrow at 6:05. Caleb Baragar (0-2, 2.64) will start for Augusta against Nick Green (3-3, 2.63).

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By Robert Pannier