Hoppers' rally goes for naught
GREENSBORO -- The Hoppers were down 10-0 to the Augusta GreenJackets in the ninth inning Thursday night, but they couldn't go home with a goose egg on the scoreboard.
"It was very easy for the players, losing 10-0 to go out there and take their swings, one-two-three, (and say), 'Let's get the (heck) out of here,'" Hoppers manager Edwin Rodriguez said.
The Hoppers scored five runs in the ninth but fell 10-5.
Matt Dominguez opened the ninth with a double. Bryan Schultz followed with a double, driving Dominguez home. With Ryan Curry and Torre Langley aboard, Hunter Mense blasted a home run onto Eugene Street.
"All of a sudden the game was 10-5," Rodriguez said. "That builds character and, of course, we want to win, but that shows you that they're willing to go out there and give 100 percent."
With most of the NewBridge Bank Park crowd of 7,634 on their feet, it appeared the Hoppers might repeat Tuesday night's ninth-inning comeback when Dominguez hit a three-run home run to tie the Lakewood BlueClaws at 7. The Hoppers eventually won it on Mike Stanton's solo home run in the 15th.
"Mike Stanton, the right guy, I mean the guy leading the league in home runs, just hit a walk-off home run in the 15th inning at 11:45 p.m.," Rodriguez said.
But on Thursday, with Stanton on the on-deck circle, the game ended when Emilio Ontiveros grounded out.
"We were trying to at least get a tie," Rodriguez said. "Hey, we're here to play. But it didn't happen."
Contact Dioni L. Wise at 373-7016 or dioni.wise@news-record.com.
AUGUSTA GREENSBORO
|
|
AB | R | H | BI | AB | R | H | BI | |
| Jordan cf | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Mense 1b | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Noonan 2b | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Ontiveros ss | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ciriaco ss | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Stanton cf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Buller c | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Domingz 3b | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Villalona 1b | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Schultz lf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Neal dh | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Curry 2b | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Duggan dh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Hickman dh | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Baker lf | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 | Langley c | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Davis 3b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | Jacobs rf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Simmons rf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Totals | 40 | 10 | 14 | 10 | Totals | 36 | 5 | 10 | 4 |
|
Augusta |
020 | 102 | 410 | -- | 10 | |
| Greensboro | 000 | 000 | 005 | -- | 5 |
|
Augusta |
ip | h | r | er | bb | so |
| Brewer W, 7-4 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Clark | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Pendley | 1/3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Lussier | 2/3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Greensboro | ip | h | r | er | bb | so |
| Evans L, 1-4 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| Cishek | 12/3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Mallory | 21/3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
