with Augusta. Below, Fernandez shows the ball after making the tag, and bottom get the out call from the base umpire.
The Salem RidgeYaks will be in Kannapolis, NC this week for six games against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers at Atrium Health Ballpark. The Ballers are a farm team of the Chicago White Sox.
The Yaks completed their only homestand in the month of July last Sunday, as they played three games with Delmarva followed by a half dozen against the Augusta GreenJackets. Salem finished the homestand with a 5-4 record despite winning five of six games from July 18-24.
After taking two of three from Delmarva the Yaks lost the first game with Augusta but then won the next three, 9-3, 8-7 and 5-3. On Saturday they were looking to make it four in a row as Jose Bello, Ethan Walker and Luis Cohen combined to shut out the Jackets for eight innings. Salem took a 3-0 lead into the ninth only to have Augusta score three runs off Cohen in the top of the inning to send the game into extra frames. Hayden Friese homered to lead off the ninth inning, Luis Guanipa followed with a single and Conor Essenburg homered to tie the game with no one out. Cohen got out of the inning with runners on second and third but Salem failed to score in the bottom of the ninth.
Things continued to go downhill for the Yaks in the top of the 10th, as the GreenJackets scored three runs off reliever Jay Allmer, two of which were unearned. Salem scored one run in the bottom of the inning but it wasn’t enough as their three game win streak ended with a 6-4 loss, and on Sunday Augusta won the get-away game 13-3.
All Carolina League teams were off Monday and the RidgeYaks found themselves holding a half game lead over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers in the North Division second half standings with a 16-14 record. Salem will host the ‘Peckers for a big six game series beginning next Tuesday, August 4.
