Vientos Stretches Hit Streak to 11 on Saturday in Charleston

CHARLESTON, SC - The Mets fourth-rated prospect had another special day at the plate. Mark Vientos reached twice and singled on Saturday in Columbia's 8-3 loss to Charleston and extended his hit streak to 11 games in a row. It's the longest hit streak this season for any Fireflies hitter.
Vientos is now hitting .364 during the streak. The 19-year-old from Pembroke Pines, Florida, has his average raised to .258 on the year.
The Fireflies took a 2-0 lead early in Saturday's tilt. Juan Uriarte got the job done twice. First he singled Shervyen Newton home in the second (Newton had just drilled his first triple of the year off the right-field wall). Then, the catcher struck again in the fourth. Chase Chambers led off that inning with his own base hit and later moved to third when Gerson Molina struck a single. Uriarte knocked in Chambers with a drive up the middle.
Charleston (26-23) starter Roansy Contreras (4-2) was rattled if only for a couple innings. The right-hander battled back and shut out the Fireflies hit from the fifth to the seventh inning.
Columbia (19-30) lost the lead in the fifth frame. Starter Colin Holderman - who had just retired seven batters in a row - allowed a walk to Ricky Surum and then a single to Eduardo Torrealba. He battled hard against the next hitter, Brandon Lockridge, but the Charleston centerfielder yanked a base hit through the left side and scored Surum. Holderman was then lifted for reliever Bryce Hutchinson (L, 2-2). He soon allowed an RBI single to Josh Stowers before retiring the side with a 5-3 double play ball with the bases loaded.
The Fireflies fell in a further hole the next inning when Torrealba tormented the visitors again. With two runners on, the RiverDogs nine-hitter recorded a two-run single to give the home team a 4-2 advantage.
Charleston wasn't done. It added another in the seventh and three more in the eighth. Lockridge and Cuevas each knocked in a run and Lockridge later scored from third on a wild pitch.
Chandler Avant's run-scoring double in the ninth off of RiverDogs reliever Tanner Myatt was admirable, but Columbia didn't score again.
Columbia's series against Charleston continues on Sunday at Joe Riley Park. The projected starters are RHP Christian James (1-4, 5.18) for the Fireflies and RHP Nolan Martinez (0-0, 3.00) for the RiverDogs. You can listen to the action on FirefliesLiveStream.com.
Keep in mind, Columbia returns to Segra Park on Thursday, May 30. It's the first of a seven-game homestand that features a military card set giveaway presented by AllSouth Federal Credit Union and Fort Jackson Night on June 5. You can purchase tickets for the games at FirefliesTickets.com.