CHARLESTON, SC - Wagner Lagrange blasted Columbia's first grand slam of the season and led the Fireflies to a 7-4 victory in the series finale against Charleston. The home run was Lagrange's second of the season and one of the five extra-base hits for Columbia on Tuesday afternoon. The barrage
CHARLESTON, SC - Wagner Lagrange blasted Columbia's first grand slam of the season and led the Fireflies to a 7-4 victory in the series finale against Charleston. The home run was Lagrange's second of the season and one of the five extra-base hits for Columbia on Tuesday afternoon.
The barrage of big hits was delayed until the sixth inning, however. The first five frames featured a marvelous pitcher's duel between Jose Butto (W, 1-6) and Luis Gil. Columbia's (20-32) right-handed starter from Venezuela posted his finest outing of the season and picked up his first win. Butto spun six scoreless frames and surrendered just one hit (oddly enough, it was to the first RiverDogs hitter, Brandon Lockridge, in the first). Butto struck out six, including two in the sixth inning, his final on the mound.
The Fireflies, though, didn't do much against Gil either. The Yankees prospect struck out five over his five frames of work. Columbia attacked reliever Alex Mauricio who appeared on the mound for the start of the sixth. After Shervyen Newton singled - which extended his hit streak to seven games - Mauricio walked the next two hitters. Lagrange then stepped to the plate and drilled the grand slam over the left-field wall.
The visitors grew their lead in the seventh. Mark Vientos got the hit parade started with a double to deep left field. Chase Chambers drove him home moments later with a two-bagger off the right-field wall. Columbia wasn't done. The next hitter - Newton - officially knocked Mauricio out of the game with a two-run homer to right. It was Newton's second of the year, more specifically, his second in four days.
Charleston (28-24) made a little noise in the late innings and scored four times. But Jake Simon (S, 1) eventually closed the door in the ninth and picked up the save in the process.
Newton was one of a pair of Fireflies to finish with three hits. Ronny Mauricio singled three times; that was the Mets prospect's first three-hit game of the year (although, Mauricio did tally four hits in a contest earlier this season).
Lagrange and Vientos both finished with a pair of hits, too.
The Fireflies return home on Thursday to begin a four-game series with the Augusta GreenJackets. Thursday's game is a Budweiser Thirsty Thursday™, featuring half-price draft beer and fountain drinks. The first 1,000 fans into the park will also receive a Military Hero Card Set presented by AllSouth Federal Credit Union.
You can watch the game on MiLB.tv.
