‘Pen Streak Ends on Grits Night at Segra Park

COLUMBIA, SC – The Fireflies bullpen’s scoreless inning streak ended as they dropped Friday’s game to the Augusta GreenJackets 5-1 at Segra Park.

The GreenJackets got on the board first. Luis Sanchez slapped a lead-off single up the middle before stealing second and third. With two away, Drew Compton came to the dish and lined his eighth hit of the series to score Sanchez and put Augusta in front 1-0.

On starter Hunter Patteson’s (L, 1-1) 75^th pitch of the game, Diego Benitez added a solo homerun that scrapped the left field wall, granting Augusta a 2-0 lead. Patteson’s night ended early, and not because he was being hit around or walking a lot of batters, rather because a lot of pitches were being fouled off. Joe Olsavsky worked an 18-pitch pop-out in the second that was the epitome of how the evening transpired. Patteson faced 12 batters and threw 75 pitches in the process.

Luis Polanco was the first arm out of the pen and he cruised through 3.1 hitless innings before passing the ball to Nicholas Regalado. After stranding a runner at third in his first inning of relief, the righty gave up a run in the eighth, snapping the bullpen’s week-long scoreless innings streak at 22.1 innings. The run began in the ninth inning of last Friday’s game in Charleston. Regalado finished the night allowing three runs in as many innings.

Columbia got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning. Derlin Figueroa bunted a single up the third baseline to start off the inning and moved to second on a Chris Brito walk. Later, Dionmy Salon sliced an RBI double down the left field line to bring the Fireflies within a single run.

Garrett Baumann (W, 2-0) took control early for the GreenJackets. He didn’t allow a base runner until the fourth inning and gave up his first hit to Derlin Figueroa on a bunt single in the fifth. Baumann allowed two hits and one run in six innings for his second-consecutive quality start. Luis Vargas (S, 2) closed out the game with a three inning scoreless save.

The Fireflies continue their series with he Augusta GreenJackets tomorrow night at Segra Park at 6:05 pm. RHP Blake Wolters (0-0, 4.50 ERA) toes the rubber for Columbia and Augusta counters with RHP Adam Maier (1-0, 3.46 ERA).

Grits Weekend keeps chugging along tomorrow night! Not only will the Fireflies assume their alter ego and have Grits apparel available in the team store, but there will also be a post-game fireworks show courtesy of Adluh Flour. We’ll also be serving local Adluh Grits at concession stands throughout the night. Buy your tickets now at ColumbiaFireflies.com.