Jackets' bats silenced

Matt Kramer's second home run in two nights and a pair of three-run innings later lifted the Rome Braves to a 7-1 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets on Sunday night at Lake Olmstead Stadium.

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Michael Holahan/Staff

Augusta starter Ari Ronick allowed four runs on four hits in 5w innings and took the loss, dropping his record to 7-6. He struck out four and allowed three walks.

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Michael Holahan/Staff

Augusta's Francisco Peguero slides safely into second base ahead of a throw to Rome's Shayne Moody during Sunday's game.

Playing in their second-to-last game of the season, the GreenJackets' offense couldn't match Rome's effort.

Kramer's homer in the first put the Braves up early. GreenJackets starter Ari Ronick settled down to retire 13 of the next 14 batters after the first inning, but Rome finally got to him in the sixth when a pair of walks were sandwiched between doubles from Kramer and Calvin Culver for a 4-1 advantage.

"I was going to let (Ronick) stay out there and work through it," GreenJackets manager Dave Machemer said. "It was his game to win or lose."

Ronick (7-6) was relieved with two outs in the sixth. Justin Fitzgerald threw two innings of hitless ball, but Kyle Woodruff came in and allowed three runs on four hits in the top of the ninth. Derek Wiley's RBI single started the scoring, and Samuel Sime finished it with a two-out, two-run double.

The Braves produced more than enough offense on a night when the GreenJackets managed only one run.

Charlie Culberson's two-out double in the second inning set up the lone score. Catcher Joel Collins, getting a rare start, singled in Culberson on the next at-bat to tie the game at 1.

The GreenJackets left four runners on base and went 3 for 21 at the plate the rest of the game.

Augusta's season ends today when it takes the field for a Labor Day game at 2:05 p.m. against Rome.

The GreenJackets will miss out on the postseason for the first time since 2005 after finishing fourth and second this year in the two half seasons of the South Atlantic League Southern Division play.

"We've still got one more game, and we're going to go out and play the way we've played all year," Machemer said. "You definitely want to finish strong, and we're just going to go out and have fun."

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