RiverDogs Earn Split of Low-Scoring Doubleheader

The Charleston RiverDogs snapped a four-game skid with a 3-0 win in game one of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Segra Park. In the nightcap, the Columbia Fireflies responded with a 2-1 victory. The RiverDogs dropped five of the six games in the state capital. The last four defeats came by one run.

The first contest began with a bang and featured exceptional work on the mound from Yoniel Curet and Jake Christianson. In the top of the first inning, Xavier Isaac hammered a line drive home run in the second at-bat of the contest to put the RiverDogs (18-27) in front 1-0. The long ball was his third of the season.

The only other offense in the contest came from the Charleston bats in the fourth inning. Ryan Spikes opened that frame with a triple to left center against Columbia starting pitcher David Sandlin. The first out was recorded as Christopher Barete struck out, but Santiago Millan doubled the lead with an RBI single to center field. With two outs, Chandler Simpson pulled a line drive over the head of right fielder Roger Leyton for a triple that made it 3-0.

That was enough offense for the duo of Curet and Christianson. Curet, the starter, turned in a season-high 5.0 scoreless innings with a season-high seven strikeouts. He scattered two hits and walked a pair. Christianson came out of the bullpen to earn his first save with 2.0 solid innings. The right-hander struck out three and allowed only one hit.

Omar Hernandez provided two of Columbia’s three hits as a team. The RiverDogs finished with six hits, led by Millan’s 2-3 showing with a double.

In the second contest, the Fireflies (28-17) scored two runs in the first inning and made them hold up for the entire game. Levi Usher opened the contest by poking a single into left field. Lizandro Rodriguez followed with a hard groundball that deflected off of Spikes at second base for an error. Daniel Vazquez drove in the first run of the game with a single to center. Severino hit Dionmy Salon with a pitch to load the bases. The southpaw came back to strike out David Hollie and Erick Pena, but the final strike to Pena was a wild pitch that allowed another run to score.

That run support was plenty for Mauricio Veliz, Marcus Olivarez and Cooper McKeehan. That trio limited the RiverDogs to one unearned run on four hits. The damage came in the fifth inning against Olivarez when Spikes worked a leadoff walk. He stole second base and advanced to third on a passed ball by Salon behind the plate. A balk pushed him home from third to give the RiverDogs their only run.

The Fireflies collected six hits in the game. Vazquez was the only player with multiple, finishing 2-3.

Severino took the loss after allowing two runs in 1.1 innings. Michael Sansone inherited a bases loaded jam in the second and worked out of it with a double play ball. He tossed 1.2 scoreless innings. Junior William worked 2.0 scoreless frames with three strikeouts and Jack Hartman struck out a pair in a scoreless sixth.

Following a day off on Monday, the RiverDogs will open a six-game homestand against the Augusta GreenJackets, an Atlanta Braves affiliate. First pitch on Tuesday is slated for 7:05 p.m. Fans are encouraged to bring their four-legged friends with them to the game on another Dog Day presented by Twisted Tea. This week’s game will pay special tribute to corgis.