The Charleston RiverDogs scored the final three runs on Tuesday afternoon at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park, earning a hard-fought 3-2 win over the Columbia Fireflies. Adrian Santana raced home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth to score the decisive run. The game was played in front of a sellout crowd of 6,219 children and teachers on Education Day.
The RiverDogs (5-5) had the top of their order at the plate to start the penultimate frame with the score tied 2-2. Santana hit a groundball to the left side that was stopped by the diving Austin Charles at third base. The infielder’s throw from his knees was not in time to prevent the speedy leadoff hitter from reaching. The 18-year-old quickly stole second base and advanced to third on a groundout from Raudelis Martinez. With Tre’ Morgan at the plate, Jarold Rosado fired a wild pitch to the backstop as Santana raced home.
Columbia (6-4) opened the scoring in the second inning. Erick Pena was hit by a Drew Dowd pitch and raced to third on Jhonny Perdomo’s single to right. Perdomo was thrown out trying to advance to second on the play. With the infield playing in, Lizandro Rodriguez pounded a chopper to short with Pena sliding in to the plate just ahead of the tag by catcher Bryan Broecker. Later in the frame, Erick Torres was caught stealing second, but Rodriguez scored from third prior to the final out, resulting in a 2-0 Fireflies advantage.
Missing out on earlier opportunities, the RiverDogs started to climb back into the game in the fifth. Carlos Colmenarez reached on catcher’s interference and stole second base. With two outs, Broecker’s RBI double to left field that scooted past Milo Rushford, scored Colmenarez and brought the home team within 2-1.
Reliever Connor Fenlong walked consecutive hitters with one out in the sixth to move the tying run into scoring position. Odalys Peguero rolled a base hit through the right side of the infield to tie the game. Angel Mateo was thrown out at third on the play and the RiverDogs could not add on.
Andrew Lindsey earned the win out of the bullpen, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings with six strikeouts. He allowed just one hit as the man on the mound from the fifth through the eighth inning. Starter Drew Dowd allowed two runs on five hits in 4.0 innings in his first start of the season. He struck out four and walked three. Dalton Fowler earned the save with a scoreless ninth.
Broecker and Peguero each finished with two hits and an RBI to pace the RiverDogs six-hit attack. Columbia received one hit from six different players. Catcher Blake Mitchell reached base four times.
Ballpark Fun
The RiverDogs hosted Education Day at the ballpark for the first time since the 2019 season on Tuesday morning. Students from schools throughout the Charleston County School District were in attendance and filled up the seating bowl. Top finishers in the annual “Reading Around the Bases” program took part in a pre-game parade around the warning track.
The series will continue with game two on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. The first 1,000 fans to enter the ballpark will receive a bobblehead version of 2021 RiverDogs standout, and current Tampa Bay Rays infielder, Curtis Mead. This bobblehead is the first of a three-piece championship bobblehead series presented by Nucor Steel Berkeley. RHP Gary Gill Hill (0-0, 0.00) will make his first home start of the campaign against a pitcher to be announced for Columbia.
The RiverDogs continue their hunt for a fourth-consecutive Carolina League championship in 2024. The full schedule of games is available here.
Charleston 3, Columbia 2
April 16, 2024
Click here for the box score
Columbia (R-H-E): 2-6-1
Charleston (R-H-E): 3-6-0
Win: Lindsey (1-1)
Loss: Rosado (0-1)
Save: Fowler (1)
HR: Columbia: None
HR: Charleston: None
