Columbia, S.C. – The Columbia Fireflies used three home runs, including two by catcher Ramon Ramirez, to defeat the RiverDogs 9-3 in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Segra Park. With the defeat, the RiverDogs lose the series four games to two.
The Fireflies jumped on Charleston starter Janzen Keisel in the bottom of the first, loading the bases thanks in part to two walks. Ramirez capitalized, sending a high-arching home run into the first row of seats in left field for a grand slam.
The RiverDogs punched back in the top of the second inning, as Angel Mateo belted Charleston’s first home run of the season – a solo shot to left. Later in the inning, Connor Hujsak drove in Jack Lines on a two-out RBI single to cut the lead in half to 4-2.
In the third, Ramirez came back to the plate with a runner on first and blasted his second homer of the game out to left-center, ballooning the deficit to 6-2.
The scoring settled down in the middle frames, as Garrett Gainey and Engert Garcia both tossed scoreless innings out of the bullpen for Charleston.
The RiverDogs got within three in the top of the seventh inning, as Nathan Flewelling popped a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3. That’s as close as the ‘Dogs would get in the late stages, though, as Derlin Figueroa got the run back for the Fireflies with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning.
Columbia added two more tallies in the ninth inning to put the contest and possibility of a series split out of reach.
The RiverDogs, now 2-7, return to Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park to open a six-game series with the Hickory Crawdads on Tuesday night at 7:05pm. Tickets are available online at RiverDogs.com.