Fireflies split doubleheader with RiverDogs Wednesday
COLUMBIA, SC (Fireflies PR) – Jordan Humphreys pitched a complete game shutout in game one on Wednesday and the Fireflies split a doubleheader with the RiverDogs at Spirit Communications Park. Humphreys led Columbia to a 3-0 victory before Charleston bounced back and downed the home team, 10-5, in a rain-shortened game two.
It was the first complete game shutout of Humphreys’ professional career. The right-hander struck out 10 and walked just one. In eight starts, Humphreys is 7-1 with a 1.57 ERA. He is one of two pitchers in all of professional baseball with seven wins.
Columbia (22-21) scored twice in the fourth in game one. Andres Gimenez singled – extending his on-base streak to 17 straight games – and the next hitter, Michael Paez, tripled in Gimenez. A sacrifice fly to deep centerfield off of Luis Carpio’s bat scored Paez. The Fireflies led, 1-0.
Gene Cone then drove in his 15th run of the season in the fifth. Jay Jabs doubled off of Charleston (23-22) starter Brian Keller (L, 3-4) to begin the frame and Cone – with two outs – knocked him in.
In game two, the RiverDogs took a 1-0 lead in the first when Angel Aguilar knocked in Estevan Florial with a single.
Columbia evened the score in the bottom half. Cone scored from third when a balk was called on pitcher Jio Orozco. In the next frame, the visitors plated three more and took a 4-1 lead.
This continued the trend of scoring. In the home half of the second, Tim Tebow walked, moved to second after another balk and then reached third when a pitch sailed past catcher Donny Sands. Milton Ramos then lifted a fly ball to centerfield; Florial made the catch, but Tebow tagged and scored. Columbia trailed by just two.
Charleston used a four-run third inning to jump ahead, 8-2. Columbia shortened the gap in the bottom of the fourth. Tebow and Brandon Brosher each reached with no outs. Ramos plated Tebow when he drilled a fastball into the right-center field gap. It was Ramos’ fourth double of the season. Brosher later scored on a wild pitch and, for the second time on Wednesday, Carpio plated a run with a sacrifice fly.
The RiverDogs stretched their lead to 10-5 after the fifth. Just before the start of the sixth inning, heavy rain started falling and the umpires called for the tarp. Game two was called after a 19-minute rain delay.
The Fireflies take to the road and face the Lexington Legends at Whitaker Bank Ballpark on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. It’s the first of four games between the two. Columbia is scheduled to start right-hander Merandy Gonzalez (5-1, 1.59) and Lexington will trot righty Ofreidy Gomez (1-5, 5.35) out to the mound.
You can listen to the action on ESPN Columbia 94.9 FM and 1230 AM, ColumbiaFireflies.com and the TuneIn Radio app at 6:45 p.m.
