11 Straight L’s After Heartbreaker in Augusta

Columbia strands tying run at third in eighth as they fall 6-4

By John Kocsis Jr.

September 11, 2021

COLUMBIA, SC – The Fireflies mounted a comeback, getting to within one of the GreenJackets in the eighth, but they couldn’t climb over the apex as they lost 6-4 Saturday evening at SRP Park. A wild pitch in the top of the fifth that scored Burle Dixon to tie the

COLUMBIA, SC – The Fireflies mounted a comeback, getting to within one of the GreenJackets in the eighth, but they couldn’t climb over the apex as they lost 6-4 Saturday evening at SRP Park.

A wild pitch in the top of the fifth that scored Burle Dixon to tie the game 2-2 started the Fireflies offensive momentum swing. After allowing three runs on two homers in the home half of the frame, Columbia (47-66) scored a run off an error in the sixth to make the score 5-3.

They didn’t stop there, Omar Hernandez launched a double to left to score Enrique Valdez to draw the club within a single run, but that’s as close as the club got in its 11th consecutive loss.

For a second consecutive night, the Fireflies scored the first run of the ballgame and again, it was a run handed to them by the GreenJackets. Luca Tresh rolled a ball to shortstop Cal Conley, who committed a throwing error that allowed Burle Dixon to score and the Fireflies to take the lead.

The lead wouldn’t last long though, starter Wander Arias (L, 0-2) gave up a two-run homer to Justyn-Henry Malloy in the bottom of the first as Augusta retook the lead. Malloy had a two-homer evening, slamming a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth to put Augusta on top 5-2. The long ball was Augusta’s medium of choice. Landon Stephens smoked his 21st bomb of the season off the scoreboard in left field to ice the game 6-4 in the eighth.

The Fireflies wrap up their series with the GreenJackets tomorrow at SRP Park at 6:35 pm. LHP Rylan Kaufman (2-4, 5.19 ERA) gets the nod for the Fireflies and Augusta counters with RHP James Acuna (2-0, 4.23 ERA).

Columbia has one homestand remaining in the 2021 campaign from August 14-19. There’s plenty of fun in store, including a Miller Lite $2 Tuesday, White Claw Wednesday Day and Bud Light Thirsty Thursday. In addition to the drink specials, the Fireflies will pull out all the stops for their promotions, hosting Grateful Dead Night Friday and Wands and Wizards Night Saturday. Tickets are available at FirefliesTickets.com.