Charleston RiverDogs starter Jairo Heredia took a perfect game into the sixth, but Augusta GreenJackets starter Ari Ronick eventually won the pitching duel, and Francisco Peguero played the hero in a 1-0 win Wednesday night at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
Wendell Fairley broke up Heredia's perfect game by leading off the sixth inning with a line drive single to right field, and Peguero ended the game with a high-bouncing ground ball single that scored Vladimir Frias from third in the bottom of the ninth.
Peguero said it was the first walk-off hit of his career. The seeing-eye single came with two on and one out and bounced over the outstretched glove of first baseman Neal French, who was part of a drawn-in infield.
"I was trying to hit it somewhere in the outfield," Peguero said through Frias, who served as his interpreter. "I didn't get it enough to hit it to the outfield, but I knew it was over his glove when I hit it."
Peguero's single, who earlier extended his hitting streak to 10, was one of only five hits for the GreenJackets. Augusta struggled all night against Heredia and didn't fair much better against reliever Gabriel Tatis (0-1) until the ninth.
"The first pitcher was throwing breaking stuff, and it took us a while to get used to it," Peguero said. "When they made the pitching change, he was throwing fastballs, and we were able to make that adjustment."
Tatis, who threw the final 3q innings, still didn't allow a hit until Juan Perez and Peguero ended the game with back-to-back singles. Frias started the bottom of the ninth with a walk, and his hustle took him from first to third on Perez's hit to set up the game-winning play.
"We were quiet all night with the bats, but Frias did a great job going first to third and that set it up," GreenJackets manager Dave Machemer said. "It was a good 1-0 pitchers' duel. Ronick was great."
Ronick allowed three hits over seven shutout innings. Reliever Ryan Verdugo (2-0) kept Charleston hitless over the final two innings to get the win.
Reliever Justin Fitzgerald initially took over for Ronick in the eighth but left the game after only two pitches with pain in his throwing shoulder. Machemer said Fitzgerald will be examined today.
Reach Billy Byler at (706) 823-3216 or billy.byler@augustachronicle.com.
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