Fireflies Split Doubleheader to Guarantee Series Split

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Columbia Fireflies split a doubleheader with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Saturday evening at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. After dropping the first contest 4-0, the Fireflies were able to take the second game 4-2.

Game 1

For a second consecutive game, the Columbia Fireflies were shutout, this time 4-0 in seven innings. They lost their previous game 1-0 to Myrtle Beach. The last time Columbia was one-hit in back-to-back games was August 26-27, 2018 when the Fireflies lost 9-0 to Asheville and 4-0 to Charleston.

Columbia was almost the first opponent that Myrtle Beach had ever no-hit. Although the road team drew five walks, it took until the final inning for Felix Familia to lace a double to left to put Columbia on the board with their first knock.

Matt Stil (L, 2-1) got the loss after giving up three runs to Myrtle Beach in the first and an extra in the third to give the Pelicans a 4-0 lead halfway through the first game. Gabriel Jaramillo (W, 1-0) tossed two hitless innings of relief to earn the win after Sam Thoreson started the game with four hitless innings and six strikeouts.

Game 2

After not scoring in back-to-back games spanning three days, the Fireflies jumped out quickly in the second game of the twin bill. Herard Gonzalez and Darryl Collins jumped out of the gate with back-to-back base knocks to start the game before Maikel Garcia popped a sacrifice fly to center to plate Gonzalez. Later, Omar Hernandez slapped one up the middle to score Collins and put Columbia in front 2-0 before Myrtle Beach could step up to the dish.

The Pelicans countered with a pair in the bottom of the first to tie the game, but the Fireflies bats supported Ben Hernandez in the third when Juan Carlos Negret gapped a double to left to score Maikel Garcia and then Omar Hernandez legged out a three-bagger to plate Negret and push the Fireflies in front 4-2.

Ben Hernandez cruised through the remainder of the first four innings to protect the lead before handing the ball to Walter Pennington (W, 2-1). The southpaw worked two scoreless innings to set-up a 5-2 game heading to the bottom of the seventh when Nathan Webb (S, 2) slammed the door shut for Columbia.

The Fireflies got some insurance in the top of the seventh frame. After Garcia drew a lead-off walk and stole second base for his seventh theft of the season, Tyler Tolbert lined a base hit to right to put the fifth and final Fireflies run on the board.

Columbia concludes their series with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans tomorrow at 6:05 pm. The Fireflies offer LHP Rylan Kaufman (1-1, 9.00 ERA) and the Pelicans counter with southpaw Adam Laskey (0-2, 10.26 ERA).

After two weeks on the road, the Fireflies will return home Tuesday, June 15 to start a six-game set with the Augusta GreenJackets. At that point, Columbia will play 12 games in 13 days at Segra Park that will include two fireworks shows, two t-shirt giveaways and much more. For tickets visit FirefliesTickets.com.