By: Riverdogs Media
Columbia, SC — The Charleston RiverDogs scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning to break away from a pesky Columbia Fireflies side on the way to a 7-1 win at Segra Park on Sunday evening. The victory allowed the RiverDogs to win the series 4-2 and finish the 12-game road trip with a 9-3 record.
The game was closely contested throughout the first eight innings as pitching dominated the early action. The RiverDogs (40-18) scored the first run in the third inning with the help of a leadoff triple from Garrett Hiott. Two batters later, Alika Williams drove him in with a sacrifice fly to center field. Hiott was involved again as the RiverDogs doubled the lead to 2-0 in the fifth inning on his RBI single to left.
Taj Bradley held the Fireflies (29-27) off the scoreboard until the fifth inning. Omar Hernandez opened the frame with a sharp infield single off of third baseman Johan Lopez. Herard Gonzalez followed with a single down the right field line that left runners on the corners with no outs. The next batter, Felix Familia, bounced into a 4-6-3 double play as a run scored to close the gap to 2-1. Columbia threatened with multiple men on base in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but never scored again.
It remained a one-run game entering the final frame where the RiverDogs used the long ball to pull away. Logan Driscoll led off the inning with his first home run of the season to make it 3-1. Lopez and Heriberto Hernandez followed with singles and after the latter stole second base, there were two runners in scoring position. Hiott came up big once more by looping a line drive into left that scored both runners for a 5-1 advantage. Before the inning concluded, Jonathan Embry went deep with a two-run blast to right to cap off the scoring.
Hiott paced the RiverDogs 12-hit attack by going 3-4 with a triple, three runs batted in and two runs scored. Lopez, Hernandez and Embry added two hits each.
Bradley moved into a tie for the league lead by earning his seventh win. He allowed just one run over 5.0 innings of work while scattering three hits. Jose Lopez twice stranded the tying run on third base on his way to 2.0 scoreless innings out of the pen. Trey Cumbie and Hector Figueroa each tossed 1.0 inning down the stretch without allowing a run.
The RiverDogs return home on Tuesday night to host the Augusta GreenJackets in the first contest of a six-game series. It will be the team’s second Military Appreciation Night alongside Boeing, as well as Dog Day presented by Island Coastal Lager. Fans can enjoy $2 hot dogs and beer throughout The Joe. All military members and their families can grab free tickets to the game by calling the RiverDogs box office.
All RiverDogs games are broadcast worldwide on riverdogs.com. A television broadcast of all 60 home games during the 2021 season will also be available via MiLB.TV. Games are also available on the MiLB First Pitch app.
RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are now available for the 2021 campaign at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS). A full schedule for the 2021 season is available at riverdogs.com.
