Fireflies Fall to Tourists in Extras
ASHEVILLE, NC (Fireflies) — The Fireflies made a comeback on Saturday, but they fell to Asheville, 5-4, in extra innings. Sam Hilliard blasted a walk-off home run over the right-center field wall in the bottom of the 10th at McCormick Field.
Columbia (35-34) pushed a run across in the second frame. Luis Ortega and Patrick Mazeika scorched back-to-back doubles off of Tourists’ starter David Hill.
In the top of the third, Vinny Siena ripped a two-bagger of his own to the left-center field gap. Two batters later, Dash Winningham sliced a run-scoring single to left field. The visitors were in control, 2-0.
Chris Keck woke up the Asheville (34-34) bats in the third. The Tourists’ third baseman hit a moonshot over the 38-foot wall in right-field to cut Columbia’s lead in half.
The home team pulled in front in the fourth. Sam Hilliard, Chris Rabago and Mylz Jones strung together three consecutive hits against Fireflies’ starter Kevin Canelon. The Venezuelan left-hander allowed just three earned runs in 5.2 innings. Asheville tacked on another run in the fifth thanks to a Brendan Rodgers’ solo home run over the left-field fence.
With the score 4-2 entering the eighth, Columbia’s top-of-the-order bats went to work. Siena smacked his second double of the night to begin the frame. Then Kevin Kaczmarski punched a single to right field. Mazeika flied out to deep left field and Siena scored from third base to make it a one-run contest.
Entering the ninth, Jeff Diehl displayed his clutch gene, again. The big righty clobbered his seventh home run of the season to tie the game, 4-4. It was the second night in a row the Cranston, Rhode Island, native went yard. Diehl has gone deep in back-to-back games twice this season – and he’s the only Firefly who’s done it.
Fast forward to the tenth, Hilliard beamed a laser over the right-center field wall to send the Asheville fans at McCormick Field into a frenzy.
Devin Burke (W, 1-1) picked up the win for the Tourists and Alex Palsha (L, 2-3) was dealt the loss for the Fireflies.
Columbia and Asheville battle in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. Manager Jose Leger hands the ball to right-hander Tyler Badamo (3-3, 3.51). He takes on Tourists’ lefty Jack Wynkoop (6-3, 3.54).
You can listen to the action on WGCV 620 AM, 105.1 and 96.3 FM, ColumbiaFireflies.com and the TuneIn Radio app starting at 1:45 p.m.
