RiverDogs Fall 7-3 to Fireflies for Second Straight Loss

The Charleston RiverDogs lost to the Columbia Fireflies 7-3 on Saturday night in front of a home crowd of 4,011. This was the second straight loss for the RiverDogs after winning the first three in the series to end the first half of the Carolina League season.

The Fireflies (2-0, 20-48) jumped on the board first for the third time in as many games. After River Town led off the inning with a walk, David Hollie hit a two-run home run to give the Fireflies a 2-0 lead.

The RiverDogs (0-2, 46-22) responded with one of their own in the bottom of the first inning. Ryan Spikes led off the inning with a single. He got to second on a stolen base (4) and took third base on an errant throw from Omar Hernandez. With one out, Mason Auer hit a ground ball to second base, sending Spikes home to make it 2-1.

The Fireflies answered again in the third and fourth inning off of RHP Daiveyon Whittle. In the third inning, Town led off with a walk, took second on a wild pitch, and stole third base. Daniel Vasquez followed that with a walk of his own. Then, Carter Jensen hit into a 4-6-3 double play, scoring Town to make it 3-1. In the fourth inning, after back-to-back singles, Omar Hernandez hit into a double play, scoring another run to make it 4-1.

The RiverDogs got one back in the bottom of the fifth inning, when Shane Sasaki hit his first home run of the season that hit the scoreboard in right field to make it a 4-2 ball game.

In the sixth inning, RHP Aneudy Cortorreal came into pitch for the RiverDogs. After a walk, a single and a hit-by-pitch, Quintana hit another sac-fly to make it 5-2.

The RiverDogs tried to start a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning, sending seven men to the plate. Willy Vasquez led off the inning with a single. After a Kenny Piper walk, Oneill Manzueta and Spikes were both hit by pitches, scoring Vasquez. Then, with the bases loaded and the tying run on second, Delvin Capellan struck Carson Williams out to hold the RiverDogs to just one run, keeping the game a 5-3 affair.

The Fireflies added two more runs in the eighth inning off of RHP Kamron Fields. Jensen led off the inning with a bloop double down the left field line and stole a base. Then, Quintana hit his second sac-fly of the game to make it 7-3.

Whittle, Cortorreal and Fields combined to walk seven batters in the game. Whittle took the loss to fall to 0-3 on the season. He went 5.0 innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on four hits and striking out eight. Luinder Avila (4-6) picked up the win after going 6.0 innings and giving up two runs on three hits while striking out three batters.

Ballpark Fun
Tonight, the RiverDogs celebrated Marvel Defenders of the Diamond Night. Fans had the opportunity to meet Captain America in the flesh, as the team took the field wearing Captain America themed jerseys, which will be available via auction in the month of September.

The RiverDogs will try to take the series tomorrow against the Fireflies in the final game of this six-game series. RHP Ben Kudrna (0-3, 2.37) will throw for the second time this series tomorrow for the Fireflies. The RiverDogs will send RHP Aneudy Cortorreal (1-1, 3.86) back to the mound as an opener to try and win this six-game series.

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).