Jorge Bautista Brilliant Versus Cannon Ballers
September 6, 2022 – Carolina League (CarL) – Augusta GreenJackets News Release
KANNAPOLIS, NC: The Augusta GreenJackets (30-30) began their final series of the regular season by topping the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers (30-31) on the road by a score of 6-1.
The GreenJackets started the run production in the second inning as Stephen Paolini brought home two runs with a single to give Augusta a 2-0 lead.
It remained a 2-0 game until the sixth inning when the GreenJackets padded their lead with three more runs, starting with a solo home run from Mahki Backstrom to lead off the inning. Augusta would continue by adding two more with RBI singles by Francisco Floyd and Drake Baldwin to take a 5-0 lead.
The Cannon Ballers got on the board for the first in the bottom half of the inning but it came at the expense of a double play as Benyamin Bailey scored Brooks Baldwin to cut Augusta’s lead to 5-1.
Kannapolis would get no closer as the GreenJackets’ starting pitcher, Jorge Bautista spun a gem on the mound tossing a career-best seven innings with eight strikeouts to match his personal best, earning his second quality start in his last three outings.
In the eighth, Augusta tacked on one more run with another RBI single by Francisco Floyd to match their largest lead of five at 6-1.
Elison Joseph and Darling Florentino would combine to get the final six outs by pitching the eighth and ninth respectively to close out a 6-1 victory for the GreenJackets on Tuesday night.
Jorge Bautista (2-4) earned a winning decision in his second consecutive start while Kannapolis starting pitcher Manuel Veloz (2-1) being saddled with the defeat.
Kevin Kilpatrick and Drake Baldwin were steady forces atop the GreenJackets’ lineup on Tuesday as they each recorded three hits. Kilpatrick picked up two doubles and scored twice, Baldwin had three singles and drove in a run as part of the three-run sixth inning. Francisco Floyd brought in a pair of runs with two singles and Mahki Backstrom connected for his tenth homer of the season to highlight the standout performers on offense.
The GreenJackets will go for a fourth-straight win on Wednesday night as they send Landon Harper to the mound to face Martin Carrasco for the Cannon Ballers with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m. from Atrium Health Ballpark.
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