Thursday night’s matchup between the Charleston RiverDogs and Augusta GreenJackets started out as a classic pitchers’ duel as Garrett Williams and Brian Keller kept the game scoreless through four innings. However, the GreenJackets would plate six in the fifth innings, and go on to down the RiverDogs, 9-4.

Both starters were looking sharp early on. Charleston had their chances to score early, including putting two on with two outs in the first, but Williams struck out Danny Sands to end the threat. From there neither, team was able to mount much of a rally, but in the fifth it all unraveled for Keller.

Ryan Kirby got the rally started with a one-out walk and moved to second on a base hit by Manuel Geraldo. Will Albertson then lined a single to right to load the bases, bringing Brandon Van Horn to the plate. He drilled a double to right field that plated two and put two runners into scoring position. A hit by pitch loaded the bases, and a passed ball plated Albertson. Kelvin Beltre then drilled a two-out double to the wall in right that scored both runners and it was quickly 5-0. A wild pitch followed by a passed ball scored Beltre and the lead was six.

The RiverDogs would get one back in the bottom half of the inning. Diego Castillo singled with one out and moved to second on a ground out. After Esteven Florial walked, Angel Aguilar singled to left. Castillo was going to hold at third, but Jacob Heyward’s throw was wild back to the infield and Castillo scored.

In the seventh, Augusta extended their lead. Van Horn singled to start the inning, and moved to second on a wild pitch. He scored on a double by Ashford Fulmer, and Fulmer scored on a double by Beltre. That made it 8-1.

The GreenJackets extended that lead to eight in the eighth. Kirby and Geraldo started the inning with back-to-back singles and Albertson reached on an error. With the bases loaded, Van Horn hit a sacrifice fly that scored Kirby and it was 9-1.

The RiverDogs were down, but not out. In the ninth they would mount a rally. Isiah Gilliam walked to start the inning and he moved to third on back-to-back wild pitches. Brandon Wagner and Diego Castillo then drew the base on balls and the bases were loaded with no one out.

That brought a call to the bullpen and Nolan Riggs relieved Cesar Yanez. A wild pitch scored Gilliam and Ben Ruta followed with a single the opposite way down the left field line to score both runners and make it 9-4. That was as close as the RiverDogs would get, however.

Garrett Williams (1-0) earned his first win of the season with five solid innings, allowing 5-hits and an unearned run while striking out 4. Manuel Geraldo was 3-3 with a run scored and Brandon Van Horn was 2-3 with 2-runs, a double, and 3-RBI for Augusta. Ben Ruta was 2-3 with 2-RBI for Charleston. Isiah Gilliam saw his 11-game hit streak come to an end.

These two teams face each other again tomorrow. Melvin Adon (0-3, 4.87) goes for Augusta against Nick Nelson (0-3, 6.75). Game time is 7:05.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier