Augusta bounces back with a walk-off win over Emmanuel

By Chris Rickerson | Sports writer

The Augusta University baseball team won 9-8 with a walkoff home run by senior Jose Nogueras against Emmanuel on Tuesday, March 9.

The Jaguars ended their five-game losing streak, getting their second win of the season.

AU coach Chris Howell was proud of the way his guys played.

“They had adversity all day and I am just proud of how our guys picked their teammates up,” said Howell. “I am proud of our pitchers for coming in and competing. I thought they turned to another level, and we just got a chance to win it in the ninth.”

Augusta started junior Chase Horton on the mound and Emmanuel would start Ben Hudson. Both teams would pitch many pitchers in this game as it was a high-scoring affair. 

The Lions would start first in the top of the first inning with a triple by Tony Matos, who would score after a sacrifice fly by Hunter Reeves, making it 1-0 early. 

The Jaguars would bounce right back in the bottom of the first with a solo home run by senior Skylor Murphy.

Freshman Jordan Wilkie would get his first career RBI at Augusta University as he hit a ground out to the shortstop and brought in junior Walker Sinclair to put the Jags up 2-1 in the bottom of the second.

This game would be back and forth as Judd Roberts would put the Lions ahead with a 2 RBI double bringing in Kyle Gaura and Hunter Reeves in the top of the third.

Wilkie would come big again in the bottom of the fourth inning, getting his first career hit which was an RBI double, bringing in freshman Harrison Aulds. Nogueras and Skylor Murphy would also bring in two runs hitting two singles to go up 5-3.

Relief pitcher’s sophomore Austin Heard and junior Cotton Phillips would hold the Lions from scoring any more runs for three straight innings.

The Jaguars would build their lead, as senior Mason Robertson would hit a solo home run in the bottom of sixth inning making the score 6-3.

Errors would hurt the Jaguars in the top of the seventh inning. Phillips would only give up one hit, but three errors by the Jaguars would allow the Lions to score three runs and tie the game at six runs.

Junior Jasper Dubberly would come into pitch for the Jaguars in the top of the eighth inning, striking out the first two batters he faced, but would hit the next batter and then give up a two-run homerun to Will Pittman, giving the Lions an 8-6 lead.

Robertson would come up to bat in the bottom of the eighth for the Jaguars and hit his second home run of the day, a two-run homer, tying the game at eight runs. 

Freshman Benjamin Koch pitched the ninth inning for the Jaguars and gave up a one-out triple. Koch ended up striking out two batters to hold the runner at third and to keep the score tied. 

Nogueras would come up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with the score still tied and two outs. Nogueras connected on a pitch to deep left field for a walk-off home run, giving the Jaguars the 9-8 win.

“It’s just all about grinding through it, and it was absolutely a team effort,” said Nogueras. “There were a lot of big moments where each of us stepped up and we were just able to clutch it up.”

Augusta (2-6, 1-5) will play its next series on the road as the Jaguars face North Georgia (10-5, 10-5). Game One will be Friday, March 12, at 6 p.m.

 Contact Chris Rickerson at crickerson@augusta.edu.

The Jaguars celebrate Jose Nogueras’s game-winning homer in the 9-8 win over Emmanuel. (photo by Chris Rickerson) At the top of the page, Nogueras swings for the fences. (photo by Carlos Rodriguez)