Fireflies Utilize Six-Run Second to Beat Woodpeckers

COLUMBIA, SC – The Columbia Fireflies road the momentum of a six-run second inning to beat the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 8-5 Saturday night at Segra Park.

The Fireflies (42-46) were down 4-0 to start the home half of the second inning, but the bats showed their resilience as Columbia sent 10 hitters to the dish in the inning. It started with a double from Gage Hughes. Enrique Valdez was able to piggy back off the double with a base knock to score Hughes and start the rally. With one out, Matt Schmidt kept the rally going with a double to cut Fayetteville’s (38-50) lead in half.

The Fireflies turned to the top of their order, Diego Hernandez roped a single to center to plate Schmidt and cut the Woodpeckers’ lead to one. Herard Gonzalez drew a walk to put runners on first and second with a single out. Then Juan Carlos Negret stepped up to the plate with a pair of outs and was down to his final strike when he drove a ball to left field that scored both the runners on the base paths and push the Fireflies in front 5-4. Saul Garza made sure the inning stop there. He clocked a ball to center that resulted in a double that scored Negret all the way from first to push the Fireflies in front 6-4.

Garza also added a homer in the bottom of the seventh, his third of the season, to give the Fireflies a run of insurance to lead 7-5. The final run for the Fireflies came in the bottom of the eighth. After Valdez drew a lead-off walk, he was able to come around to score on a wild pitch from Whit Drennan to give the Fireflies their eighth and final run.

It was enough to allow Dario Peralta (S, 1) to come out and earn a save in his first outing for the Fireflies. Peralta pushed through a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the game. He came out following Taylor Bloye (W, 1-0), who spun 2.1 scoreless innings, fanning three batters and allowing the Fireflies to extend their lead while he was manning the mound.

The Fireflies close out their series with the Fayetteville Woodpeckers Sunday at 5:05 pm. RHP Adrian Alcantara (4-5, 5.17 ERA) will toe the rubber for the Fireflies and Fayetteville offers RHP Jayson Schroeder (2-2, 9.87 ERA) on the bump.

Following the game tomorrow, kids in attendance can run the bases at Segra Park. For tickets to the game, visit FirefliesTickets.com. It’ll be your last chance to catch the Fireflies until August 31.