While early offense pushed them to an early lead, the Charleston RiverDogs fell 5-4 to the Columbia Fireflies in front of 5,442 fans at Joseph P. Riley Jr, Park.
Despite falling behind in the top of the first, the RiverDogs responded in the bottom of the frame when Brody Donay belted a two-run triple to deep center that pushed Charleston ahead 2-1.
After Columbia rallied to take a 3-2 in the third, the RiverDogs evened the score again in the bottom third of the inning when Brady Marget scored from third on a wild pitch.
The Fireflies answered back in the top of the fourth on a homerun by Hyungchan Um that made it 4-3. They tallied another in the seventh to extend the lead to two.
The RiverDogs made one final push in the eighth when Dean Moss brought home a run with an RBI groundout, cutting their deficit to 5-4. The club went down quietly in the ninth, earning Columbia the victory.
With the loss, the RiverDogs fell to 49-39 and 12-10 in the second half, while Columbia moved to 44-44, and 10-12 in the second half. The two return to The Joe tomorrow for game two of the series. First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m. at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park with coverage beginning at 5:50 on the RiverDogs Broadcast Network.
Ballpark Fun:
The RiverDogs returned to the Lowcountry for the first time in 17 days after a two-week road trip, and fans packed The Joe to welcome them home. The crowd embraced K-Pop Night all evening long, belting out karaoke hits and putting their lyric knowledge to the test between innings. After the final out, the celebration continued with a spectacular fireworks show set to some of K-Pop's biggest hits.
One fan became the unexpected star of the night during the middle innings by taking on the Freedom Burger all by himself. The new ballpark creation features a beach ball-sized burger stacked with seven patties and even French fries tucked into the hollowed bun. As the challenge unfolded, fans gathered around to cheer him on and watch him attempt to conquer the towering burger.
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, 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.
Season Ticket Holders can renew their 2026 package for 2027, to receive complimentary tickets to all home postseason games. All other fans can purchase an exclusive package that includes a ticket to all home playoff games and a guaranteed t-shirt for a limited time. Tickets are available here.