Winningham sets Fireflies pace on big night

The only thing that was able to cool off Dash Winningham on Monday was rain. 
In a game called after seven innings, the Mets infield prospect set three franchise records for Class A Columbia, becoming the first player to collect two home runs, six RBIs and 10 total bases in one game as the Fireflies rolled to a 14-2 win over Augusta at Spirit Communications Park.

"I haven't had a two-homer game since my rookie season in [Rookie-level] Kingsport, so that felt great," said Winningham. "It just felt good to get in that groove and drive in a lot of runs for the team and help the team win."
Gameday box score
After striking out in his first at-bat against Caleb Baragar (0-4), the 21-year-old first baseman belted an RBI double to center field that drove in Michael Paez to give the Fireflies a 4-1 lead. 
"My first couple of years in pro ball, I had been struggling with lefties," said Winningham, who was hitting .327 against southpaws coming into the contest. "But for some reason this year, I've been locked in, just getting my foot down early and just recognizing the pitch.
"On that double, I was just sitting back on that pitch. That was one of the only pitches in my career that I've sat back for that long. My foot was down, I just saw it out of his hand, waited on it and put a good swing on it."

The next time up in the fifth, the 2014 eighth-round pick sent an 0-1 offering from Baragar over the right-field wall for a three-run shot that extended Columbia's lead to 7-2.
Winningham previously went yard twice in a game two times for Kingsport during the 2015 season, but that was the last thing on his mind as he stepped to the plate in the sixth against right-handed reliever Jeff Burke.
"I was just trying to put a good swing on the ball, try to get another hit or just drive the ball somewhere," he said. "[Burke] was a submarine guy. He had a little sink on his fastball, but he spun a 3-2 slider in and I just put a good swing on it."'

The two-run shot to right-center gave the Fireflies a 12-2 lead and marked his third three-hit game of the year. With three long balls in three days, Winningham leads the club with seven and 36 RBIs. 

"That was probably the best game of my career," he said. "Six RBIs, a couple of home runs and a double, I haven't really had that ever. That was a great feeling."
Fifth-ranked Mets prospect Desmond Lindsay belted a two-run homer off Baragar and No. 19 Ali Sanchez  collected three hits.
Gabriel Llanes (3-3) went the distance, allowing two runs on six hits with four strikeouts and three walks for Columbia.