Despite a late comeback bid, the Charleston RiverDogs fell 3-2 to the Columbia Fireflies in front of 4,316 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park on Saturday night.
Starting pitching led the way on both sides early. RiverDogs right hander Aidan Haugh delivered a quality start, allowing three runs over six innings. He fanned six hitters throughout the outing.
On the Columbia side, left-hander Darwin Rodriguez set the tone with four scoreless frames. Reliever Michael Lombardi followed with four sensational innings, fanning eleven batters without allowing a run.
Columbia did all of its damage in the sixth, pushing across three runs on three hits, including an RBI single from Josh Hammond and RBI double from Brooks Bryan.
The RiverDogs rallied in the bottom of the ninth when Yirer Garcia and Derek Datil tallied back-to-back singles to place runners at first and second. Down to their final out, Caden Bodine lined an RBI single to right to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Later in the frame, a wild pitch brought home Derek Datil to make it a one-run game.
With the winning run at the plate, Columbia reliever Henson Leal escaped trouble by inducing a game-ending groundout, securing the 3-2 win for the Fireflies.
With the loss, Charleston fell to 7-7 while Columbia moved to 8-6. The two return to The Joe on Sunday the series finale. First pitch is slated for 5:05 p.m. with coverage beginning at 4:50 p.m. on MiLB.TV and the RiverDogs Broadcast Network.
Ballpark Fun:
The crowd came alive as Murder Mystery Night unfolded. Throughout the stadium, detective gear and hidden messages were displayed throughout the concourse. Fans worked to solve the case, with clues revealed through mid-inning games and cinematic scoreboard shorts that brought the story to life. Throughout the evening, suspects were interrogated atop the dugout, while fans debated who was guilty. Many in the hot seat received boos, that grew louder and louder as the night when on. By night’s end, Charlie and Chelsea uncovered the truth, catching the culprit red-handed.