Fireflies Split Doubleheader Sunday Against Greenville

GREENVILLE, SC (Fireflies) — The Fireflies played 11 innings of baseball on Sunday at Fluor Field, winning Saturday’s postponed game, 13-3, and then dropping the originally scheduled Sunday matchup to the Drive, 5-4. When it was all said and done, Vinny Siena finished 6-for-8 at the plate in the two games combined, and raised his batting average to .366. He has the highest average in the South Atlantic League.

Even more impressive, Siena’s batting average at Fluor Field was raised to .625 (in six games). The star second baseman went 9-for-16 at the plate in four games from April 21-24 and added six hits to that total in the first two games of the series this weekend.

When game action was postponed in the fifth inning on Saturday night due to a malfunctioning light tower at the park, Columbia (16-14) led the Drive, 5-0. Four of those runs were plated thanks to Jeff Diehl’s grand slam. The offense continued the following day — the visitors scored eight runs in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, Kuehl McEachern walked in a run with the bases full, and then Milton Ramos drove in another run to put the Fireflies on top by five runs.

Columbia batted around in the top of the seventh — without recording an out. J.C. Rodriguez had the big hit in the inning; with the bases full, his triple scored three. The Fireflies led 13-3 heading to the bottom of the frame. Zeros the rest of the way resulted in the ten-run victory. The 13 runs tied a season-high for runs in a game.

In the second game, Greenville (15-14) scored in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead. But Columbia answered right back in the top of the third. The rally occurred with two outs in the frame — Kevin Kaczmarski doubled and the next batter, Siena, drove him in with a base hit. Then David Thompson doubled and the Fireflies had runners at second and third. Dash Winningham stepped to the plate against starter Daniel Gonzalez and the lefty laced a two-bagger down the right-field line to put his club in front, 3-2.

The lead only lasted a half of an inning. Drive first baseman Josh Ockimey clubbed a two-run home run off of Joe Shaw (L, 2-2). Greenville led again, 4-3.

Columbia loaded the bases once more in the top of the fourth, though. Gonzalez was lifted for reliever Jake Cosart (W, 1-0) and the righty walked Thompson which enabled Tyler Moore to score from third.

With the score tied, 4-4, Greenville plated the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth. Joseph Monge’s double scored Jeremy Rivera, who reached base with two outs in the frame.