All in all, it was a very productive day down on the farm filled with high-powered offenses and stellar pitching performances led mostly by Augusta. Let’s dive into it all.
(66-63) Gwinnett Stripers 7, (57-71) Louisville Bats 5
- Chuckie Robinson, C: 2-4, 3 RBI, R
- Jim Jarvis, SS: 2-5
- DaShawn Keirsey Jr., CF: 1-4, 2B, RBI, R
- Reynaldo Lopez, SP: 5 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 2 K
Box Score
In what was an exciting back-and-forth affair, Gwinnett managed to squeak out a narrow win in their final at-bat of the night on Friday.
Reynaldo Lopez got the start as he continues his rehab assignment and gave up four runs in five innings, allowing eight hits and striking out a pair on the night. Overall, it wasn’t exactly
encouraging for Lopez as he works his way back from injury.
He totaled four whiffs, but his fastball averaged out at 91.2 MPH. Hopefully it’s just him getting back into form, but Friday was somewhat a cause for concern for a big league pitching staff in desperate need of quality arms.
Getting back to Friday’s action, the Stripers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead by scoring two runs in the top of the second and one run in the third.
However, Louisville managed to take a 4-3 lead by the end of the fourth inning, but not for long.
Chuckie Robinson, who singled home the game’s first run in the top of the first, launched a two-run homer in the top of the fifth to once again give Gwinnett the lead.
Tied at 5-5 in the ninth, Cal Conley scored on a Lizandro Espinoza sacrifice fly to give the Stripers a 6-5 lead. DaShawn Kiersey Jr. then came through with an RBI-double to plate Brett Wisely and make it a 7-5 lead which would hold as the final.
(57-62) Columbus Clingstones 8, (56-68) Chattanooga Lookouts 16
- Jordan Groshans, 3B: 4-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
- Luke Waddell, DH: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
- Eric Hartman, LF: 1-4, 3B, 2 R, BB
- Alex Lodise, SS: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R
- Braden Scott, SP: 3.2 IP, 4 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 3 K
Box Score
For those who are fans of offense, look no further than the Columbus, Chattanooga matchup on Friday night.
24 runs, 25 hits and seven total home runs paced the night, as the Lookouts’ staff undoubtedly ran out of fireworks on the night.
Unfortunately, the Clingstones fell short in the offensive onslaught.
Things were going well for the Clingstones through the first three innings, as they only trailed by one run headed into the top of the fourth — in which they actually tied things up courtesy of Alex Lodise scored on a Luke Waddell single to make it a 1-1 game.
Then the home half of the fourth happened.
Starter Braden Scott was tagged for seven earned runs as Columbus suddenly found themselves in an 8-1 hole they couldn’t dig themselves out of.
As Chattanooga continued to pile it on, the biggest swing of the night came courtesy of Jordan Groshans who pulverized his 29th homer of the season — a two-run shot to plate Eric Hartman and cut the deficit to 10-3.
For Groshans, his 29 homers are the most for a Braves double-A player in the last 26 seasons as he continues a truly historic year for the 26-year-old.
(58-63) Rome Emperors 2, (55-66) Greenville Drive 6
- Conor Essenburg, RF: 2-4, HR, RBI, R
- Dixon Williams, LF: 2-5
- Aiven Cabral, SP: 5 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, BB, 3 K
Box Score
Rome unfortunately came up on the short end in this one, as the Emperors lost by a 6-2 final on the night.
Aiven Cabral got the start and didn’t exactly put the his offense in the best position to succeed, as Greenville tagged him for five runs in the first three innings. Overall, Cabral went five innings, giving up the five runs on seven hits and walking three.
The offense actually pulled within one run — albeit to make it a 2-1 game — in the top of the third, as Conor Essenburg scored on a Luis Guanipa sacrifice fly to put Augusta on the board.
Essenburg again came through, this time in the fifth inning, with a solo homer over the massive left field wall in Greenville for his second homer at the high-A level. With his performance, Essenburg has raised his OPS with Rome to .709 in 21 games, showing he has hopefully found a new groove with the Emperors.
(67-56) Augusta GreenJackets 8, (46-75) Myrtle Beach Pelicans 0
- Yamvier Carrero, 3B: 2-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
- Parker Brosius, RF: 1-4, 2B
- Cooper McMurray, 1B: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI
- Matt Scannell, 2-4, 2 R
- Wil Libbert, SP: 3 IP, 2 H, 5 K
- Adiel Melendez, RP: 3.2 IP, 9 K
Box Score
Augusta had arguably the best performance of the night as the GreenJackets’ pitching staff strung together a two-hit shutout, while the offense tallied eight runs on 10 hits on the night.
On the mound, 2026 5th-rounder Wil Libbert made the first start of his professional career and was downright excellent. Across three innings of work, the University of Mississippi product held Myrtle Beach to their only two hits of the game, while striking out five in the process.
Overall, Libbert’s command was excellent. In his first start, 29 of the 39 total pitches he threw were called for a strike, suggesting he may not be in Augusta for long if he can continue to put up those type of numbers.
In other news on the pitching front, the relief corps for Augusta was just as good — if not better — than Libbert on Wednesday.
Adiel Melendez led the charge, as the lefthander put up a career-best performance for the GreenJackets.
In 3.2 innings of work, Melendez held the Pelicans hitless, while also striking out nine. The real icing on the cake for Melendez, was the fact that in the fifth inning he tossed an immaculate inning. It was the first such inning for Augusta in six seasons.
Melendez has been sneakily good this season for the GreenJackets, as he’s carrying an ERA of 2.49 across 50.2 innings while striking out 58 across that span. Given his success and age, Melendez should be on the shortlist to get the bump to high-A — if a spot were to come open this late in the season.
Lewis Siftontes rounded out the stellar pitching night with 2.1 innings and two strikeouts while only walking one.
Meanwhile at the plate, the GreenJackets plated three runs in the second inning and never looked back.
Dallas Macias walked and Matt Scannell singled him into scoring position before Yamvier Carrero launched his third homer of the season over the left field wall to make it a 3-0 advantage for Augusta.
Cooper McMurray also had a huge night, driving in a trio of runs, while Parker Brosius registered another extra-base hit — a double — and Scannell crossed the plate twice in the Augusta win.
