Fireflies Hit Back to Back Homers for First Time in 2019

GREENVILLE, SC - Columbia's road trip closed out with a thud on Sunday. The Fireflies allowed 16 runs and 22 hits and dropped the finale to Greenville, 16-5. Columbia did mash two more homers. The Fireflies have experienced a power surge over the last week and have launched nine homers over their last eight games.
For the first time this season, Columbia (14-17, 38-59) hit back to back dingers. It happened in the fourth inning against Drive starter Chris Machamer (W, 4-6). The right-hander first plunked Hayden Senger . Chase Chambers then deposited a Machamer pitch over the right-field fence. It was Chambers' second homer of the year and the first since May 19.
Just moments later, Jose Medina - who also homered on Thursday and Friday - lasered one over the "mini Green Monster" in left. These were Medina's first homers of the season.
The last time Columbia drilled back to back homers in a game was August 23, 2018 (Zach Rheams and Jose Brizuela against Asheville). The Fireflies have now notched nine homers over the last eight games:
July 21 @ Greenville - Chase Chambers and Jose Medina
July 19 @ Greenville - Jose Medina
July 18 @ Greenville - Jose Medina
July 17 @ West Virginia - Mark Vientos and Shervyen Newton
July 16 @ West Virginia - Shervyen Newton
July 14 vs. Charleston - Mark Vientos and Shervyen Newton
Outside of a two-run double off of Gerson Molina's bat in the sixth, Sunday was largely dominated by Greenville (15-16, 47-54). The Drive tallied 22 hits, six walks and one batter was hit. Five Greenville hitters finished with three or more hits, including lead-off batter Everlouis Lozada, who finished 4-for-6 with two homers and four RBI.
The game was tied, 3-3, until the home team sparked for five runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Drive scored four more the following frame which put the game out of reach for Columbia.
Brian Sharp finished with three hits for the Fireflies, his second three-hit game of the year. Sharp - the former two-way star at Missouri - also pitched 1.1 innings on Sunday. He allowed two hits, one run and struck a batter out in his second appearance on the mound this season.
SCORING SUMMARY:
Bottom 1: Everlouis Lozada hits a solo homer over the left-field wall. GVL 1, COL 0
Bottom 2: Grant Williams doubles in a pair of runners. GVL 3, COL 0
Top 4: Chase Chambers launches a two-run homer over the right-field wall … Jose Medina follows suit with a solo blast to left. COL 3, GVL 3
Bottom 4: Lozada smacks another homer, this time a two-run dinger to center … with runners at first and second, Devlin Granberg singles to right and scores Brandon Howlett … the ball is misplayed in right by Medina and the error allows Tristian Casas to score … later in the frame, Granberg scores from third on a wild pitch. GVL 8, COL 3
Bottom 5: Williams triples in Cole Brannen … Lozada then drives in Williams with a single to right … Howlett's double scores Lozada … Tyler Esplin drives in the final run of the frame with a base hit. GVL 12, COL 3
Top 6: Gerson Molina yanks a double down the left-field line and drives in both Chambers and Taylor Lane . GVL 12, COL 5
Bottom 7: With the bases loaded, Cole Gordon throws a wild pitch, Casas scores from third … Brannen then drives in two with a triple. GVL 15, COL 5
Bottom 8: Kole Cottam is hit by a pitch with the bags full, allows Lozada to score. GVL 16, COL 5
 
NEXT GAME: Tues., July 23
OPPONENT: Augusta
Location: Segra Park
TIME: 7:05 ET
WATCH: MiLB.TV
TUNE IN: FirefliesLiveStream.com