Fireflies Take Game Two of Double-Header Tuesday
HICKORY, NC (Fireflies) — Down two runs in the eighth inning on Tuesday night, David Thompson drilled a three-run home run to put his club up for good at L.P. Frans Stadium. Columbia won the middle game of the series over Hickory, 10-9, the team’s first second-half win. The come-from-behind victory was on the heels of a 4-1 loss earlier in the day – the resumption of Monday’s suspended contest.
The Fireflies actually came from behind twice. After once leading 5-0, Columbia (1-5, 37-39) found itself down 7-5 following the sixth inning. Hickory (2-4, 40-36) scored seven unanswered between the third and sixth frames. The Fireflies tied it right back up in the top of the seventh. Thompson and Dash Winningham plated runs consecutively with big hits. The ‘bash brothers’ knocked in a combined seven runs in Tuesday night’s game. Winningham finished with four base knocks – his second four-hit game of the season – and Thompson wound up with a season-high five RBIs.
Thompson also doubled and finished 2-for-4. Not a bad day at the plate for someone who was just activated from the disabled list hours before first pitch. The third baseman had been hobbled since June 17.
Tyler Moore was the other Firefly hitter with a multi-hit game. The Louisiana native went 3-for-4 with a walk. All nine Columbia hitters reached base safely.
After Thompson’s blast off of reliever Omarlin Lopez (L, 4-3), Craig Missigman (W, 1-1) tossed a scoreless eighth inning and Alex Palsha (S, 12) was on for the ninth. He loaded the bases full of Crawdads, but with one out, induced a 6-4-3 double play ball off of Ti’Quan Forbes’ bat to end the game. Palsha walked the tight rope to the finish line, but is now a perfect 12-for-12 in save opportunities this season.
The suspended game from Monday night resumed earlier in the afternoon. Rain caused a halt in play after five innings on Monday with the score tied, 1-1. The Crawdads scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to help clinch a 4-1 win.
The rubber game of the series is Wednesday night at L.P. Frans Stadium at 7:00 p.m. Righty Chase Ingram (4-6, 5.48) makes his 14th start of the season against Hickory right-hander Matt Ball (1-0, 1.71).
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 7:00 p.m.
