Piedmont scored six runs in the fourth inning and cruised to an 8-2 win over Augusta on Wednesday in the completion of the previous night’s suspended game, then dropped a 2-1 decision in the seven-inning nightcap. The Boll Weevils moved to 17-9, still good enough for first place in the Class A South Atlantic League’s Northern Division.

The Boll Weevils led 2-0 through three innings Tuesday before the rains came. Wednesday’s opener at Fieldcrest Cannon Stadium picked up in the fourth inning, and Augusta (10-17) scored two quick runs off new pitcher Franklin Perez to tie the game in the top of the fourth.

Piedmont’s offense wasted little time answering. The Weevils batted around in their half of the fourth to score six runs behind two big hits off Cory Spencer.

Catcher Russ Jacobson drilled a two-run double to break the tie, and after an error, walk and single loaded the bases, first baseman Nate Espy promptly unloaded them with a triple to the right-center field gap.

“Offensively, we had one good inning all night,”Weevils head coach Greg Legg said. “That was it. Other than that, their pitching shut us down. That’s why they got a split out of it.”

The Weevils went scoreless through the last five innings of the opener and only managed a second-inning run in the nightcap. Great pitching on Piedmont’s side almost made it enough.

Perez, Chris Keelin and Justin Fry held theGreenjackets to two hits in the last five innings of the opener. Perez got his first win of the season before giving way to Keelin in the seventh. He struck out the first four batters he faced and Fry finished off the ninth with two more Ks to give the staff 12 strikeouts.

Right-hander Ken Westmoreland looked just as good in Game 2 — except for a pair of mistakes. In the top of the second inning, Augusta’s Jose Pena pulled a double down the left-field line. Designated hitter Chris Warren followed with a long at-bat and, on a 3-2 pitch after several foul balls, crushed a line drive toward the club house in left.

“Westmoreland pitched good enough to win,”Legg said. “(Warren) fouled off about six pitches, then dropped the head on one. But I want the guys to be going right after them.”

With as many runs as Piedmont has scored lately, including Monday’s 20-0 win against Augusta, the 2-0 lead didn’t figure to hold. In the bottom of the second Carlos Acevedo reached on a bunt single and came home on an RBI groundout. Augusta starter Rick Riccobono didn’t get into trouble the rest of the way and left with the same 2-1 lead in the sixth.

Piedmont’s best shot came against reliever Mike Rupp. Jorge Padilla opened the sixth with a single and made it to third when Augusta botched Acevedo’s sacrifice attempt. After a strikeout, Legg sent Acevedo for second on a steal attempt and Julio Collaza hit a grounder up the middle right where Patrick Santoro was running to cover the bag.

“If he’s not running that’s probably not a double play,”Legg said. “We had the runner moving and he hit it right over the base. That could’ve tied the game.”

Instead, the Weevils settled for the split heading into today’s series finale. Left-hander Frank Brooks is scheduled to start for Piedmont, while Augusta goes for the series split with right-hander Eric Glasser.

Game time is 7:05 p.m.