Columbia hit two home runs in the eighth inning and top the BlueClaws 5-3 at FirstEnergy Park on Sunday. --
Columbia hit two home runs in the eighth inning and top the BlueClaws 5-3 at FirstEnergy Park on Sunday.
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LAKEWOOD, NJ - Michael Paez and Dash Winningham hit back to back home runs in the top of the eighth inning as Columbia topped the BlueClaws 5-3 on Mother's Day at FirstEnergy Park.
Paez's home run, his fifth of the year, broke the 3-3 tie and Winningham hit his fourth home run, two of which have come off the BlueClaws. Both came off Zach Morris (2-2), who took the loss.
Lakewood had won 10 of 12 coming into the game but the BlueClaws fall to 21-15 on the season. Columbia (18-16) won their second straight game against Lakewood after the BlueClaws took the first three meetings between the two teams this season.
Jake Simon (1-1) came on in the seventh inning and threw three scoreless innings to earn the win.
Columbia jumped out to a 3-0 lead after Brandon Brosher's second home run of the season put the Fireflies up 3-0 in the fourth inning.
That was a short-lived lead, as the BlueClaws scored three times in the bottom of the fourth. They got two runs on a groundout by Luke Williams that included a throwing error, and Edgar Cabral added an RBI single to tie the game at three.
BlueClaws starter Bailey Falter went seven innings, a season long outing, while striking out a season high seven hitters.
Columbia starter Blake Taylor gave up three runs, two earned, on seven hits over six innings. Neither starter factored in the decision.
Daniel Brito, Luke Williams, and Edgar Cabral all had two hits for the BlueClaws, who out-hit the Fireflies 10-8 but lost the game 5-3.
6,468 fans came out on Sunday with Tim Tebow in the Columbia lineup. He went 0-3 with a walk. The BlueClaws last were home on Mother's Day in 2015 and had a crowd of 3,182.
The BlueClaws and Fireflies will play a double-header on Monday. RHP Felix Paulino (1-2) starts for Lakewood in game one against RHP Harol Gonzalez (1-2). In game two, LHP Nick Fanti (2-0) starts for the BlueClaws opposite RHP Jordan Humphreys (6-0).
- BlueClaws -
