Perfect game pitched by Legends opponent

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Domenic Mazza of the Augusta GreenJackets pitched a perfect game in a 9-0 victory over the Lexington Legends Tuesday night at Whitaker Bank Ballpark.

Mazza, a left-hander, struck out nine batters and was helped by two outstanding defensive plays by right fielder Sandro Fabian.

In the eighth inning, Fabian made a diving catch on a line drive to right center field hit by Emmanuel Rivera, and in the bottom of the ninth he made a long run to the warning track to pull down a drive by Manny Olloque.

Lexington’s Amalani Fukofuka hit a long fly to left field in the seventh inning that was caught near the wall by Jacob Heyward.

Mazza recorded six straight ground outs in the second and third innings, and five straight strikeouts before Meibrys Viloria flied out to right field to end the fifth.

He threw 85 pitches in the game, 60 of them strikes.

Augusta took command with four runs in the top of the first inning.  Ashford Fulmer led off with an infield single and moved to second on a two-out single by Frandy De La Rosa.   Jacob Heyward’s double scored both runners, and Heyward came home on a single by Manuel Geraldo.   Geraldo stole second, went to third on a throwing error by catcher Nick Dini, and scored on a base hit by Brandon Van Horn.

Will Albertson hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, giving Augusta a 6-0 lead, and Kevin Beltre’s solo homer in the eighth made the score 7-0.  As Beltre reached home plate following the home run, he and Dini exchanged words and bumped into each other.  The altercation escalated as both benches cleared, and both Dini and Beltre were ejected along with De La Rosa.

Fulmer’s two-run triple in the top of the ninth closed out the scoring.

Olloque led off the bottom of the ninth with the fly ball caught by Fabian in deep right field.  Marten Gasparini and Ricky Aracena followed with fly outs to Fulmer in center field to end the game.

The perfect game is the first in the history of Whitaker Bank Ballpark.  The last no-hitter there was thrown by the Legends’ Daniel Stumpf in a seven-inning game, the first game of a doubleheader July 2, 2013.  The Legends defeated Greenville 1-0.

Augusta has won the first two games of the series, which concludes Wednesday morning.  Game time is 10:05 a.m.