Hit-fest does the trick for GreenJackets

Baseball cliches are tossed around haphazardly at the minor league level, but one such phrase has become close to a battle cry for the Augusta GreenJackets this season.

"Hitting is contagious," GreenJackets manager Dave Machemer said -- and not for the first time -- Tuesday night. "Why? It just seems to be that way. It's one of those baseball cliches that work."

The GreenJackets again caught the hitting bug in a 10-6 victory over the Charleston RiverDogs. A six-run fourth inning did most of the damage when Augusta sent 11 batters to the plate, highlighted by a two-run triple from Francisco Peguero.

The GreenJackets entered the game already atop the South Atlantic League with 508 runs scored this season. Another 10 increased that lead dramatically. Greensboro, with a 7-6 win over Hickory, ranks second with 502.

"You play off the energy of your teammates," GreenJackets first baseman Josh Mazzola said. "And when you see them succeed you know you can and need to do it too."

But all the scoring hasn't allowed the GreenJackets to pull away in the Southern Division standings. They entered the night tied for second, two games out of first place.

The victory certainly helped the GreenJackets in the race for a second-half title, but the celebration was short-lived. Discussion in the clubhouse after the game centered on the results of other games around the league, and what they meant in the standings as the final quarter of the season began.

"We're trying to win a championship here," Mazzola said. "We have to score runs. If the hitting's not there, the pitching has to be there, and if the pitching's not there, the hitting has to pick them up."

The pitching wasn't there Tuesday night, but 13 GreenJackets hits made up for it. Starter Eric Surkamp, pitching on extended rest, was pulled in the sixth after giving up two earned runs on seven hits. He didn't have his usual control early when he walked three batters and hit another.

Reliever Kyle Woodruff faced nine batters and allowed four earned runs, but Edwin Quirarte and Chris Wilson threw perfect eighth and ninths innings to seal the win.

Reach Billy Byler at (706) 823-3216 or billy.byler@augustachronicle.com.