By: RiverDogs Media
Eric Cerantola registered 10 strikeouts in 5.0 solid innings of work to lead the Columbia Fireflies past the Charleston RiverDogs by a 7-2 score on Saturday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The game was delayed by rain for just over an hour and played in front of a crowd of 3,216.
Cerantola breezed through the RiverDogs (4-4) lineup the first first time through the order, fanning seven of the first nine hitters he faced. Four of the five hits he surrendered came in the bottom of the fourth inning. In total, three Columbia pitchers struck out 17 RiverDogs hitters, a season-high.
While Cerantola took care of business on the mound, the Fireflies (4-4) build an insurmountable lead early. With one out in the second inning, Darryl Collins tripled into the right field corner to spark the offense. Erick Pena followed with a base hit and Columbia jumped ahead 1-0.
The real damage was done in the third inning against RiverDogs starter Sandy Gaston and reliever Christian Fernandez. The frame began with Gaston walking two batters and hitting another to load the bases. Edgar Martinez then lined an RBI single to make it 2-0. The final hitter Gaston faced, Carter Jensen, also walked to force in another run. Fernandez took over and allowed a sharp single to left by Guillermo Quintana that escaped Gionti Turner and allowed all three runners to score. When the dust settled, Columbia had built a 7-0 lead.
The RiverDogs tried to grab back the momentum in the fifth. Turner ended the top half of the frame with a leaping grab at the wall that robbed Omar Hernandez of a home run. In the bottom half of the frame, Bobby Seymour blasted a home run in the first at bat and put the home team on the board. Three consecutive singles followed, the final one of the RBI variety from Jelfry Marte, to trim the deficit to 7-2. However, the inning ended quickly when Turner struck out and Ryan Spikes bounced into a 6-4-3 double play. The RiverDogs stranded six runners in the ensuing three innings, but could never push another run across the plate.
The bullpen of the RiverDogs enjoyed an impressive evening. Fernandez was charged with only an unearned run in 3.0 innings of work. Over Galue and Aneudy Cortorreal finished the game by combining to deliver 4.0 perfect innings with five strikeouts.
Only one player on either team finished the game with multiple hits. That was Columbia outfielder Darry Collins who ended the night 2-4 with a triple and a run scored.
The final game of the series and opening homestand will take place on Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. In a rematch of Tuesday’s series-opener, RHP Ben Peoples (0-1, 6.75) will sqaure off against Columbia’s RHP Wander Arias (0-0, 2.70). The traditional MUSC Health Family Sunday activities will be accompanied by a pre-game Easter Egg Hunt.
Tickets are available for each of the games remaining in the team’s season-opening homestand at riverdogs.com. RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS).
