RiverDogs Close Successful Road Trip with Comeback Win in Extras

The Charleston RiverDogs closed out a successful series in dramatic fashion, tying the game in the top of the ninth and emerging with a 4-3 win over the Columbia Fireflies in ten innings on Sunday evening at Segra Park. The RiverDogs won five of the six games in the state capital and now lead the South Division by 2.5 games.

In the extra frame, Daiwer Castellanos began at second base. He advanced to third when Jelfry Marte bunted back to the mound and the third baseman, Enrique Valdez, forgot to place the tag on the runner, believing it was a force play. With one out, Shane Sasaki lined a ball to left field and Castellanos scored on a close play at the plate after tagging up at third. That handed the RiverDogs a 4-3 lead.

The bottom of the inning began with pinch-runner Omar Florentino at second for Columbia. On the first pitch to Javier Vaz, Florentino was picked off at second base for the first out of the inning. Vaz worked a walk and advanced to third as the tying run on Daniel Vazquez’s single to right. Antonio Menendez got Carter Jensen to pop out to third to end the game. Menendez earned the win by working 3.0 scoreless innings down the stretch.

The RiverDogs (21-13, 67-33) were the first to reach the scoreboard, doing so by manufacturing a run in the top of the first inning. Carson Williams worked a walk with one out and raced to third when Willy Vasquez singled through the right side on a perfectly executed hit-and-run. Bobby Seymour’s sacrifice fly to left field gave the RiverDogs a 1-0 lead.

Brendan McKay was making his second rehab appearance with Charleston, this time as the starting pitcher. He ended up tossing 3.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits with two walks and a pair of strikeouts. Columbia (18-16, 35-63) scored their only run against McKay with a solo home run off the bat of Dayton Dooney in the second inning.
The RiverDogs regained a one-run lead in the fourth inning. Vasquez opened that frame by lining a base hit to right. Oneill Manzueta walked with one out to push Vasquez into scoring position. Kenny Piper then dropped a single into shallow right field to push the visitors to a 2-1 lead.

Yonny Chirinos, like McKay, made his second rehab appearance with the RiverDogs in the contest. The right-hander tossed 2.1 innings with one run allowed. He struck out three. Columbia tied the score against him with some help from the RiverDogs defense. Manzueta couldn’t squeeze a fly ball to the wall by Dooney to open the fifth inning and it turned into a double. With two outs and the runner on third, Williams had trouble seeing a chopper toward short as it got lost in the sun, costing him precious time as Vazquez beat out an infield single.

Jack Snyder entered with one out and the bases empty in the sixth. He allowed a double to the first batter he faced, Enrique Valdez and then walked Guillermo Quintana to put two on base. Omar Hernandez followed by putting a bunt down in front of the plate. Piper barehanded and fired to second to cut down the runner there, but Valdez never stopped running around third and scored without a throw to give the Fireflies a 3-2 advantage. Snyder worked 1.2 innings, allowing the lone run on a single hit.

Entering the ninth inning trailing by a run, Seymour opened the frame with a triple to the gap in right center. He scored two batters later when Piper muscled a game-tying single to left. That set the stage for extras.

The RiverDogs, who have just 12 home games remaining in the regular season, will return to The Joe to begin a six-game series against the Lynchburg Hillcats on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. LHP Antonio Jimenez (7-4, 3.84) will start the opening game of the series for the RiverDogs. Lynchburg has not yet announced their starter. It's National Night Out with the Charleston Police Department and fans can enjoy $2 hot dogs and beer on Dog Day presented by Twisted Tea.

Single-game tickets are available for all RiverDogs home games at riverdogs.com. RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS).