Fireflies Late Rally Not Enough in Finale

ROME, GA - Just about every game between Columbia and Rome in 2019 featured an excruciatingly close final score. Sunday's season-series finale was no exception at State Mutual Stadium. The Fireflies made a late push but ultimately fell, 4-3.
Rome (32-30, 62-69) wound up winning the series, two games to one. The three games were decided by just four total runs, and Sunday's game was the second straight 4-3 loss for Columbia (27-35, 51-77). The Fireflies scored twice in the eighth inning to get back within a run but went down quietly in the ninth. Columbia finished the 2019 season with a still pretty impressive 14-8 record against Rome.
The Fireflies scored the first run of the game in the opening inning before later falling behind in the fourth. Later on, the visitors trailed by three entering the eighth and rallied for a pair of runs. Chase Chambers knocked in a run during the frame, his second of the night, but it would be the last run the Fireflies scored.
Chambers finished the three-game series against Rome with five hits (5-for-11), including three doubles, and four RBI. The first baseman hit .352 this season against the Braves in 15 games.
Columbia's offense dried up in the finale and tallied just four hits. Braves reliever Ryan Shetter (W, 4-2) didn't allow an earned run over his 3.2 innings on Sunday and collected the win. Columbia's starter Christian James (L, 3-10) surrendered just two runs in nearly five frames but was dealt the loss.
SCORING SUMMARY:
Top 1: Chase Chambers doubles in Brian Sharp from first base. COL 1, ROM 0
Bottom 2: Bryce Ball homers to right. COL 1, ROM 1
Bottom 4: Hagen Owenby singles and plates Shea Langeliers. ROM 2, COL 1
Bottom 7: Langeliers drives in a run with a single … Ball later scores from third on a wild pitch. ROM 4, COL 1
Top 8: Gerson Molina scores after shortstop Carlos Paraguate commits a throwing error … Chambers grounds out to Greg Cullen at second base but brings in Sharp from third. ROM 4, COL 3
Columbia starts its final home series of the year on Monday at Segra Park. You can purchase tickets for the last four home games of the season at FirefliesTickets.com. The Fireflies take on the Hickory Crawdads. First pitch for all four games is at 7:05 ET.
You can watch the action all week at MiLB.TV.