'Birds' Late Lead Evaporates in Ten
COLUMBIA, SC - The Columbia Fireflies overcame a five-run hole and won it in the 10th inning on a walkoff bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, upending the Delmarva Shorebirds 9-8 on Tuesday night at Spirit Communications Park.With the Shorebirds (25-13) up 8-6 in the bottom of the 10th, Giovanny Alfonzo led off with
COLUMBIA, SC - The Columbia Fireflies overcame a five-run hole and won it in the 10th inning on a walkoff bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, upending the Delmarva Shorebirds 9-8 on Tuesday night at Spirit Communications Park.
With the Shorebirds (25-13) up 8-6 in the bottom of the 10th,
Delmarva once again established control early.
Columbia got one back in the second on a bases-loaded sac fly, but Shorebird starter
The Shorebirds bolstered the lead in the fourth on a two-run double by
The Fireflies got two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings. Blake Tiberi doubled home a run and scored on two wild pitches in the fifth. In the sixth, Fermin led off with a single and got to third on a pair of wild pitches, After a flyout, walk, and strikeout, Tibieri again came through with an RBI single to score Fermin and make it 6-4.
WIth men on the corners and two out, Columbia tried the "Little League double steal" - Tiberi broke for second but Breazeale pump-faked to the bag, setting up Moreno in a pickle between third and home. Curran missed the catch on a throw home, though, and Moreno slid in safely to get the Fireflies back within 6-5.
In the eighth, Alfonzo legged out an infield hit and got to second on an error. On the 10th pitch of a two-out showdown, Gladu dropped a single into center, bringing Alfonzo around to tie it at 6-6.
Delmarva rebounded to take the lead in the top of the 10th. With Curran starting at second base, Max Hogan beat out a one-out infield single. Ryan Ripken then rolled one up the middle for a base hit to score Curran and put Hogan at third.
The Shorebirds tried their own men-on-the-corners double steal, but Hogan was thrown out at the plate as Ripken advanced to second.
Ripken finished the day 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Hogan went 3-for-4 with a double and run for his first multi-hit game as a Shorebird. Curran's solo homer in the fifth was his seventh of the season, tying
Tiberi led the way at the plate for the Fireflies, going 2-for-3 with a double, run, and three RBIs. Gladu drove in a pair of runs, while Alfonzo notched three hits, an RBI, and two runs scored.
Columbia starter
The loss was the second extra-inning defeat in three days for Delmarva. It also became the team's longest game of the season at 3:44.
The Shorebirds and Fireflies split a remarkably close four-game series in which all four games were decided by one run. The teams will meet again for four games on August 10-13 in Columbia.
After an idle Wednesday, the Shorebirds open up a quick four-game homestand on Thursday against the Hagerstown Suns.