RiverDogs Lose Big Lead, Rebound to Even Series at Segra Park

The Charleston RiverDogs watched a six-run lead disintegrate in the bottom of the seventh inning but bounced off the mat to take down the Columbia Fireflies 9-6 on Saturday night at Segra Park. Blake Robertson finished a triple short of the cycle and drove in three runs for the RiverDogs as they evened the series at three wins each.

The RiverDogs (16-21) put together one of their most productive innings of the season in the top of the second to start the scoring. Blake Robertson rifled a single through the right side of the infield to start the inning. Woo Shin followed with a walk and Noah Myers capitalized with a hustle RBI double that rolled into right center field. An infield single deep in the hole at short from Odalys Peguero plated another run, making it 2-0. A wild pitch added a third run to the tally and Narciso Polanco put an exclamation point on the frame with an RBI double to the right center gap.

Adrian Santana opened the fifth inning by working a walk off starter Felix Arronde. Robertson allowed the runner to jog the rest of the way around the bases by lining his first home run of the season over the right field wall and onto the berm. The long ball handed the RiverDogs what seemed to be a comfortable 6-0 lead.

Columbia (19-17) had other plans. Austin Charles blasted his third home run in the last two games to put the Fireflies on the board in the fifth inning. The lead remained 6-1 when the RiverDogs bullpen took over for Drew Dowd. The southpaw was brilliant once again, allowing just one run over 6.0 innings with a career-high seven strikeouts.

In the seventh, Will Stevens opened the inning by walking Chris Brito and then hitting Austin Charles with a pitch. Jhonny Perdomo hit a bouncer back to the mound that Stevens stabbed with his bare hand, but then tossed wildly into center field as a run scored. The right-hander rebounded to strike out Lizandro Rodriguez for the first out of the frame. However, Columbia followed with four consecutive four consecutive singles to pull within 6-5. Derlin Figueroa tied the game with an RBI bouncer to short. Jhonalbert Rumbol ended the inning by inducing another grounder to the left side.

Both teams went down in order in the eighth inning, entering the final frame tied at six. Doug Kirkland walked the first two batters in the top of the frame before being removed in favor of Jarold Rosado. Polanco punched a base hit to center field to load the bases with still nobody out. Santana came up with his biggest hit of the season, turning around a fastball for a two-run, go-ahead double. Robertson made it 9-6 with a sacrifice fly two batters later. Rumbol then worked a scoreless ninth to end the game.

Rumbol earned his victory by tossing 2.2 scoreless innings with a pair of punchouts. Stevens was charged with five runs, three of them earned, in 0.1 innings.

Robertson ended the night 3-4 with a double, home run, three RBI and two runs scored. Polanco joined him with multiple hits, closing the game 2-5 out of the leadoff spot. Columbia received two hits each from Erick Torres, Blake Mitchell and Brennon McNair.

The rubber match in the series will be played on Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. LHP Chris Villaman (1-0, 0.00) will open the game on the mound for the RiverDogs. LHP Hunter Patteson (2-2, 2.84) will make his second start of the series for Columbia.