Fireflies Complete Sweep of Braves

 

ROME, GA - For a third straight game, the Fireflies erased a deficit and soared past Rome, winning 9-3 on Wednesday. Columbia swept the Braves during the last visit to Rome and is now 6-0 this season at State Mutual Stadium.

 

The visitors entered the seventh inning trailing, 3-2.  Jeff Diehl drew a walk against reliever Adam McCreery (L, 0-1) to start the frame and later came around to score after Kevin Kaczmarski drove him in.

 

Kaczmarski's heroics weren't over. In the following inning - with the bases loaded - the outfielder smashed a triple to the right-center field wall that scored everyone. It was the second straight game Kaczmarski cleared the bases with an extra-base hit. The native of Cary, Illinois, plated seven runs in the three-game series.

 

Two other runs scored in the eighth to give Columbia (28-25) an 8-3 lead. J.C. Rodriguez drove in one of those runs; the switch-hitter finished 3-for-3 with a double as well.

 

Milton Ramos' single in the ninth scored Dash Winningham to increase the Fireflies' lead to six runs. Tyler Bashlortossed two scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth to preserve the win. The righty has a allowed just one run over his last 15.2 innings pitched.

 

Tyler Badamo (W, 3-3) picks up his second straight win for Columbia. The right-hander shut out Rome (20-33) through the first five innings. The visitors had a 2-0 lead with two outs in the sixth before Braves' sluggers Luke Dykstra and Austin Riley smacked back-to-back base hits off of Badamo. The next hitter, Carlos Castro, drilled his second home run of the series to give the home team the lead - albeit briefly.

 

Overall, Badamo was impressive - striking out four and walking no one for a second straight start.

 

The Fireflies return to Spirit Communications Park on Thursday for a three-games series with the Hagerstown Suns. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m., and manager Jose Leger hands the ball to right-hander Joe Shaw (3-2, 3.21). He faces Suns righty Andrew Lee (2-2, 3.66).  

 

You can watch the action on MiLB.TV and listen in on WGCV 620 AM, 105.1 and 96.3 FM, ColumbiaFireflies.com and the TuneIn Radio app starting at 7:00 p.m.