Columbia Rallies to Beat Augusta 6-5 Saturday

COLUMBIA, SC – The Fireflies bats bested the Augusta GreenJackets bullpen, scoring three runs with their final six outs to win 6-5 at Segra Park Saturday evening.

After Omar Hernandez reached on an error to start the seventh inning, River Town was able to bring him home with a double down the right field line. Later, Enrique Valdez rolled a ball to second to allow Town to hustle home to tie the game 5-5.

The next inning, Town entered the game with runners on second and third and was able to drive a sacrifice fly to left, scoring pinch runner Omar Florentino to push Columbia in front 6-5.

Ben Wereski (W, 2-3) slammed the door shut for Columbia. He came on in relief in the eighth to fan four batters and retire six of the seven hitters he faced. If that weren’t enough, the southpaw was in the strike zone for 19 of the 21 pitches he threw.

Augusta flipped the script in the top of the fifth inning. After Frank Mozzicato walked the bases loaded with one out, Victor De Hoyos laced a bases clearing double down the left field line to tie the game and then Eliezel Stevens and Francisco Floyd added RBI singles to push the GreenJackets in front 5-3.

Prior to the start of the fifth, Augusta had yet to muster a hit against Mozzicato, who looked fantastic in his first four frames. The southpaw faced the minimum, walking one and then utilizing a caught stealing to retire 12 in order to start the game. In that stretch, the 2021 first rounder tied a career-best six strikeouts.

Columbia lunged out in front in the bottom of the third frame. After James Acuna issued back to back lead-off walks to Felix Familia and Dayton Dooney, Omar Hernandez sent a one out line drive single up the middle to plate the pair and put Columbia in front. River Town extended the lead, dribbling a single to right-center to score Hernandez and push the Fireflies in front 3-0.

The single extended Town’s on-base streak to 33 games. The stretch is the third-longest active streak in Minor League Baseball. He trails the Mississippi Braves’ Braulio Vazquez who has reached in 44-consecutive games.

The Fireflies close out their series with the Augusta GreenJackets tomorrow night for Sunday Funday at Segra Park at 5:05 pm. RHP Ben Kudrna (1-4, 3.12 ERA) gets the ball for Columbia and Augusta sends RHP AJ Smith-Shawver (2-4, 4.88 ERA) to the hill.

Tomorrow is Women in Sports Day where we’ll be celebrating different women athletes in the Columbia area. We’ll be recognizing women athletes from both the University of South Carolina and Benedict College. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.