The Lexington Legends rallied for three runs in the top of the ninth inning and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth to get a 6-5 win over the Augusta GreenJackets Saturday night in Augusta.
The Legends trailed 5-3 after eight innings, but Michael Hill and Marten Gasparini started the ninth with singles. After Ben Johnson struck out, Jecksson Flores lined out to right fielder Junior Arias, and Hill moved to third after the catch. Roman Collins singled to right, scoring Hill, and an error by Arias allowed Gasparini to score the tying run as Collins moved to second. D.J. Burt followed with a single that brought Collins home with the tie-breaking run.
Augusta’s Skyler Ewing led off the bottom of the ninth with a single. Richard Amion entered the game to run for Ewing, and moved to second when Arias walked. After Shawon Dunston Jr. popped out while trying to sacrifice, Seth Harrison singled to left field, but Collins threw out Amion out at the plate to preserve the lead. Arias went to third and Harrison to second on the throw home. Lucious Fox walked, loading the bases, but Jalen Miller grounded out to third base to end the game.
The victory ended the Legends’ losing streak at six games.
The Legends opened the scoring in the third. Johnson walked, stole second, moved to third on a throwing error by catcher Matt Winn and scored a ground out by Flores.
A two-run homer by Matt Pare in the bottom of the fourth put Augusta in front 2-1, but the Legends evened the score in the fifth when a two-out double by Flores scored Gasparini, who had walked.
The score remained 2-2 until the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Arias walked and Dunston homered. Harrison followed with a single, and Fox walked. Two wild pitches allowed Harrison to score, and the GreenJackets led 5-2.
The Legends scored a run in the eighth when Burt walked, moved to second on an errant pickoff throw by pitcher Tyler Cyr and scored on a single by Samir Duenez. The RBI was Duenez’ 49th of the year, tying him with David Thompson of Columbia for the South Atlantic League lead. Augusta carried the 5-3 lead into the ninth before the Legends rallied.
Augusta has won two out of three in the series. Sunday’s game will wrap up the series and the first half of the South Atlantic League season.
The mid-season All-Star game will be played at Whitaker Bank Ballpark Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m.
Box score
Attendance 3,144
