Fireflies Rally Behind Bullpen in 6-5 Win

COLUMBIA, SC – The one-run fun continued Wednesday night at Segra Park. The Fireflies scored four unanswered to overtake the Augusta GreenJackets in the seventh and hold on for a 6-5 win. The Fireflies are now 3-4 in one-run games this season.

Austin Charles led the seventh off with an infield single and moved to second on a balk to set things up for Erick Pena. The outfielder laced a double down the left field line to score Charles and tie the game. Pena moved to third on a ground out to bring Dionmy Salon to the plate with one out. Columbia’s catcher popped a sacrifice fly to right field to bring home Pena and move the Fireflies back in front 6-5.

Columbia chipped into the GreenJackets lead in the sixth inning. Austin Charles hustled out an infield single to start the frame. Then Erick Pena laced an RBI double down the right field line to make the score 5-3. Later, he scored on a Dionmy Salon sacrifice fly to make it a one-run contest.

The story of the game was the Fireflies bullpen, who held the line for four scoreless innings to earn the win. Chase Isbell (W, 2-1) was the first arm out the shoot. The righty faced the minimum and struck out four in two frames before handing the ball to Jacob Widener (H, 1). The lefty struck out three in a hitless eighth to maintain Columbia’s lead.

Doug Kirkland (S, 1) walked the lead-off batter in the ninth and ran into a one out, bases loaded jam. He shattered the bat of Robert Gonzalez to induce a soft lineout to short for out number two, keeping the tying run at third and then punched out Diego Benitez to close out the game and seal the deal for the first save of his career.

Augusta scooted ahead in the fifth inning. With Pierre Olivier Boucher and Robert Gonzalez on the base paths, Drew Compton ripped his first homer of the season to the right field lawn at Segra Park to give the GreenJackets a 5-2 lead.

The GreenJackets tied the game in the top of the fourth. Emmanuel Reyes walked Diego Benitez and Drew Compton to set Augusta up in the inning. Kade Kern deposited an RBI double to right-center to score Benitez and cut Columbia’s lead to 2-1. Later, Alexander Martinez grounded out to short, but it was enough to score Compton and tie the game 2-2.

The two runs ended Columbia’s scoreless inning stretch on the bump. The club had gone 17 innings without allowing a run dating back to the fifth inning of Saturday’s game in Charleston.

Emmanuel Reyes closed out his night allowing five runs off five hits in five innings. He punched out five GreenJackets and walked a pair in his fourth start of the season.

It didn’t take long for the Fireflies to find the scoreboard again Wednesday. Blake Mitchell and Daniel Vazquez ripped back-to-back doubles with one out in the first to break the scoreless tie. Next, Derlin Figueroa slapped a sacrifice fly to left field to give the Fireflies a 2-0 lead after their first chance at the dish.

Columbia continues their series with the Augusta GreenJackets tomorrow night at Segra Park at 7:05 pm. Columbia turns to RHP Felix Arronde (2-0, 0.64 ERA) on the hill and Augusta sends RHP Didier Fuentes (0-0, 3.38 ERA) to the bump.

Come on out and celebrate a blast from the past Thursday at Segra Park! It’s 90s Night on a Budweiser Thirsty Thursday. Pop in that VHS tape, turn up your favorite CD and come cheer on the Fireflies. We’ll have plenty of fun throwbacks and drink specials that’ll turn back the clock, as fans can enjoy $1 fountain sodas, $2 domestic drafts and $3 craft drafts and cocktails. Tickets are available at ColumbiaFireflies.com.