Columbia Sweeps Hagerstown, Mauricio Sets New Hits Record

HAGERSTOWN, MD - The Fireflies showed their courage all throughout the series against Hagerstown. Tuesday was no different. For the third time in the series, Columbia broke a tie in the seventh inning or later and won. This time, the Fireflies downed the Suns, 5-3, in 10 innings and completed the four-game sweep.
It's Columbia's (20-25, 44-67) first four-game road sweep of an opponent ever. And the Fireflies certainly had to earn it on Tuesday. Three times Columbia took a lead in the finale and three times Hagerstown (20-24, 50-64) tied the score, matching the Fireflies' run with one of their own in the fifth, sixth and eighth frames.
Then in the 10^th, the visitors took a lead for good. The inning started with Brian Sharp at second and Alex Troop (L, 0-1) on the mound. Troop hurled a costly wild pitch during Jose Medina's at-bat that enabled Sharp to head to third. Moments later, Medina lifted a fly ball to left field. It was without question deep enough to score Sharp, but Tyler Cropley dropped the ball as he reached up to make the catch. Sharp scored and Medina wound up at second after the error.
The Fireflies cashed in on the insurance run when Chandler Avant smacked his second hit of the day down the right-field line, plating Medina in the process.
That was plenty of support for Columbia's lock-down closer Allan Winans (W, 1-2). On Tuesday, though, he picked up the win. Winans faced the minimum in the bottom of the 10^th to close out the sweep. The righty - who, by the way, is 9-for-9 in save chances this season - was particularly clutch on Tuesday afternoon. He first came out of the bullpen with two outs and runners on base in the home eighth and retired Cropley. Then he tossed a one-two-three ninth.
Columbia is now 3-3 in extra-inning games this season, with all of the wins coming away from home. With the victory on Tuesday, the Fireflies closed out their most successful road trip of the season with a 5-2 mark.
Tuesday was a special day for another reason, too. Ronny Mauricio finished with a pair of hits, his second being his 112^th on the season. Mauricio now owns the franchise's single-season hits mark. He passed J.C. Rodriguez who tallied 111 in 2016. Mauricio will end up smashing the old record as Columbia has 25 more games left this year.
Both Gerson Molina and Avant finished with two hits on Tuesday. Guillermo Granadillo also finished with two clutch RBIs. It was a wonderful series for the 23-year-old: Granadillo wound up with three RBI, three runs scored and four hits.
Columbia never trailed in the four-game series against Hagerstown.
SCORING SUMMARY
Top 5: With Gerson Molina at second, Brian Sharp swings at strike three, Hagerstown catcher Nic Perkins drops the ball and his throw to first is late (E2); Molina recognizes and sprints home to score the game's first run. COL 1, HAG 0
Bottom 5: Justin Connell singles and scores Phil Caulfield from second. COL 1, HAG 1
Top 6: Guillermo Granadillo drives in Chandler Avant with a double down the left-field line. COL 2, HAG 1
Bottom 6: Nic Perkins singles, brings in Israel Pineda. COL 2, HAG 2
Top 8: Shervyen Newton tags and scores from third on Granadillo's sacrifice fly into left. COL 3, HAG 2
Bottom 8: With the bases loaded, Cole Daily flies out to left, Jacob Rhinesmith tags and scores from third. COL 3, HAG 3
Top 10: Sharp tags and scores from third on Jose Medina's sacrifice fly to left (Medina reaches second after left fielder Tyler Cropley drops fly ball) … Avant singles down the right-field line, plates Medina. COL 5, HAG 3
Columbia is off on Wednesday and begins a four-game series with Greenville on Thursday at 7:05 ET at Segra Park. It's a Budweiser Thirsty Thursday™, featuring half-price draft beer and fountain drinks.