Columbia, SC - Samuel Mejia struck out Hyungchan Um with the tying run on second in the bottom of the ninth to give the Charleston RiverDogs a regular season-ending 8-7 win over the Columbia Fireflies. The RiverDogs collected 14 hits in the game but also issued a season-high 11 walks to allow the Fireflies to hang around. Aidan Smith and Jhon Diaz each finished one hit shy of the cycle.
The RiverDogs (42-23, 68-62) jumped quickly out of the gates in their time facing Columbia’s Yunior Marte. Smith beat out an infield single in the second at-bat of the game and raced all the way around the bases on Emilien Pitre’s triple that entered the right field corner. Connor Hujsak worked a walk to put runners on the corners with still just one down. A wild pitch from Marte scored Pitre and Diaz made it 3-0 with a laser of a double to the right field corner.
Columbia (33-33, 68-63) did not need a hit to get on the board in the second. With one out, Jeremy Pilon walked three straight hitters to load the bases. Colton Becker then rolled a ball softly toward short for a fielder’s choice as a run crossed the plate.
The middle of the order put together a big inning for Charleston once again in the third. Smith hooked a double inside of third base to start the rally. A wild pitch moved the runner to third and Pitre tallied his second RBI with a base hit back up the middle to make it 4-1. Diaz powered his second extra-base hit of the night off the right field wall for a triple later in the frame and the lead grew to 5-1.
The next three runs belonged to the home team. Pilon retired the first two batters of the third inning before walking the next two. A wild pitch pushed both to scoring position and allowed Hyungchan Um to score two with the Fireflies first hit of the night. When Luis Hernandez entered from the bullpen in the fourth, Columbia responded with three consecutive singles to pull within 5-4. Hernandez ended the inning by stranding a runner at second.
With two outs in the fifth, it was the RiverDogs who put together a quick rally to score another run. Hujsak began the rally with a single into left and moved into scoring position with a stolen base. Those extra 90 feet allowed him to race home on Theo Gillen’s base hit to left.
Columbia scored a single run in the sixth to reduce the lead to one. However, the RiverDogs connected for a pair of solo home runs to lead off each the seventh and eight innings. Smith did the damage in the seventh and Diaz followed with a long ball to start the next inning against Henson Leal. Both round-trippers were the player’s 11th of the season.
Mejia took over in the ninth with an 8-5 lead and retired the leadoff hitter Brennon McNair. He then allowed a single to Erick Torres and walked Derlin Figueroa to bring the tying run to the plate. Daniel Vazquez flied to right field and Austin Charles appeared that he would do the same but his fly ball dropped between Gillen and Hujsak, allowing two runs to score and putting the tying run at second. Mejia then struck out Um to close the game.
The RiverDogs used seven different pitchers in the contest. Pilon went 3.0 innings and the six relievers each worked one each.
Game 1 of the South Division Championship Series is set for Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. inside Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. That contest will be the only home game in a best-of-three series against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. Starting pitchers have not been announced at this time.
The RiverDogs have qualified for the 2024 Carolina League postseason for a fourth year in a row. Tickets are available for the playoff opener on September 10 at riverdogs.com/tickets. For the lowest ticket prices, go directly to RiverDogs.com .
Charleston 8, Columbia 7
September 8, 2024
Click here for the box score
Charleston (R-H-E): 8-14-0
Columbia (R-H-E): 7-8-0
Win: Hernandez (7-1)
Loss: Marte (0-1)
Save: Mejia (5)
HR: Charleston: Aidan Smith (11, 7th inning, 0 on base), Jhon Diaz (11, 8th inning, 0 on base)
HR: Columbia: None
