The Charleston RiverDogs paired early scoring with strong starting pitching en route to an 8-5 victory over the Columbia Fireflies in front of 2,502 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park.
Aidan Haugh was dominant, delivering six shutout frames while fanning six hitters. Throughout the night, he limited the GreenJackets to just two hits and five base runners. He has completed six-or-more innings in 10 of his 23 starts this year.
Charleston opened scoring emphatically, scoring a run in each of the first four frames, highlighted by an Andreimi Antunez double in the third.
Throughout the night, four RiverDogs notched multi-hit games, including Cooper Flemming who earned his ninth career three-hit performance. Overall, the club went 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
Charleston rallied for more in the sixth when Flemming lofted an RBI single to center and Taitn Gray lifted a sacrifice fly to right. Later in the frame, Grady Emerson took off for third and scored as the pitch bounced to the backstop.
Despite a five-run rally by Augusta in the top of the eighth, Charleston tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the frame when Flemming scored on a double play ball.
Yereny Teus was tremendous in relief, tossing two scoreless frames to slam the door on his team-leading sixth save. In the process, he fanned five of the six that he retired.
With the win, the RiverDogs moved to 70-57 and 32-28 in the second half, while Augusta fell to 68-58, and 33-27 in the second half. The two return to the diamond tomorrow for game two of the series. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m. with coverage beginning at 6:50 on MiLB.TV and the RiverDogs Broadcast Network.
Let Freedom Bark
After clinching the Carolina League South first half title, the RiverDogs have secured a spot in the 2026 postseason, presented by Nucor Steel Berkeley. The best-of-three Division Series begins on Tuesday in Hickory, September 8. Thanks to their first-half division title, the RiverDogs are guaranteed to host Game 2, and, if necessary, Game 3, at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park on September 10 and 11.
Single-game postseason tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit RiverDogs.com.
Ballpark Fun:
It all came down to this! The RiverDogs kicked off the week with a tail-wagging celebration at the season’s final Dog Day, welcoming pups of all shapes, sizes, and breeds to the ballpark for one last day of fun. The day shined a special spotlight on rescue dogs, with shelters from throughout the season joining us to celebrate, while all of the Goodest Boy and Girl of the Night winners returned for one final showdown. The winning breeds went head-to-head for the title of Goodest Dog of the Year, with Vesinya, an Australian Shepherd, ultimately taking home the crown of Goodest Girl of the Year, along with a RiverDogs prize and ribbon! Fans also had an extra reason to arrive early, as the first 500 through the gates received an exclusive RiverDogs rescue-themed T-shirt.