By: RiverDogs Media
The Charleston RiverDogs closed out a nine-game season-opening homestand with a 6-3 decision over the Columbia Fireflies on Sunday evening at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. Shane Sasaki compiled three hits, four stolen bases and scored three runs to spark the RiverDogs in front of an Easter Sunday crowd of 2,325.
The RiverDogs (5-4) jumped out of the gate quickly, scoring a single run in each of the first three innings against Columbia (4-5) starter Wander Arias. In the first inning, Sasaki led off with a base hit, stole second and scored on Dru Baker’s RBI groundout. After Erick Pena’s home run in the top of the second tied the score, Willy Vasquez opened the bottom half with a triple to the wall in center field and scored shortly after via wild pitch. Mason Auer’s sacrifice fly in the third inning made it 3-1.
The Fireflies pulled within one again in the top of the fifth courtesy of Wilmin Candelario’s RBI single. However, the RiverDogs answered back once again in the same frame. The home half began with a walk to Sasaki who quickly stole second base. Carson Williams singled to push the lead back to two, went first to third on an Auer base hit and scored on Vasquez’s bouncer to the right side for 5-2 advantage.
Sasaki added an insurance run by beating out an infield single with a runner on third base in the bottom of the eighth inning. Columbia’s Carter Jensen hit a solo home run, his third of the series, in the top of the ninth to finish the scoring.
Joining Sasaki with mutiple hits was Williams, who finished 2-4 with an RBI. Baker and Auer each extended personal hitting streaks to seven games. The Fireflies finished with just four hits, two of which left the park.
The win was earned by reliever Anthony Molina after the right-hander tossed 3.0 innings. Ben Peoples, the starter, worked 3.0 innings and allowed a single run on a hit and three walks. Kamron Fields was perfect for 2.0 innings late before handing the ball to Kyle Whitten in the ninth. Whitten surrendered the solo home run, but nothing else.
On this Easter Sunday, members of the MUSC Children’s Health Kids Club were invited to take part in an Easter egg hunt. Prior to the game, 1,000 eggs were scattered across the right field grass and children 12 and under raced onto the field to collect as many as they could.
The RiverDogs will take Monday off before embarking on their first road trip of the season. That trip will begin with a 7:05 p.m. match-up against the Salem Red Sox at Haley Toyota Field on Tuesday night.
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).
